CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College baseball team forced extra innings in its series opener against Campbell on Friday, but a six-run 11th inning handed the visiting Camels a 7-1 victory at the PC Baseball Complex.
PC moves to 18-13 on the year and 5-2 in the Big South while Campbell improves to 26-5 and 8-3 in the Big South. The two teams meet on Saturday at 2 p.m. for the second game of the series.
A bases-loaded error—the only error for either team in the game—kickstarted a six-run 11th inning for Campbell. Clayton Brown hit a two-run single two batters later, Brent Graham drove in another run and Brown eventually scored on a wild pitch as the Camels took the win.
Neither team scored until Campbell took a 1-0 lead in the seventh inning. David Olson hit a solo home run to give the Camels their fourth hit and the game's first lead.
PC answered two innings later by tying the contest in the bottom of the ninth. Aaron Preston (Goose Creek, S.C.) and Brad Zebedis (Rock Hill, S.C.) each singled to start the inning and put runners on the corners with nobody out. Cam McRae (Darlington, S.C.) then hit into a double play that scored Preston and pulled PC even, 1-1. Brandon Paul (Augusta, Ga.) drew a walk to extend the frame but a flyout sent the game to the 10th inning.
Campbell and PC entered the game leading their respective divisions and the contest lived up to its billing. Solid defense and stellar starting pitching stymied each side's offense en route to the extra innings.
Beau Dees (Blenheim, S.C.) received a no-decision after eight innings of work. The sophomore scattered six hits and only allowed one run while striking out six. Brett Byrum (Rowlett, Texas) moved to 1-4 by allowing the game's go-ahead run—and no hits—in one and one-third innings of work.
Preston led the Blue Hose by going 3-for-5 at the plate. Campbell's Michael Delucia did the same and the Camels' Ryan Thompson (3-0) picked up the win in relief, throwing 4.2 innings and allowing two hits and a run.
The leadoff man singled for the Blue Hose in the first four innings but the Blue Hose could not tag starting pitcher Ryan Mattes for a run. The Camels turned five double plays on the afternoon while the Blue Hose tallied one.
Jacob Midkiff (Rock Hill, S.C.) started at second base in the freshman's first collegiate appearance. The newcomer posted three assists and one putout in the field.
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Campbell............ 000 000 100 06 - 7 9 0 (26-5, 7-3 BSC)
Presbyterian College 000 000 001 00 - 1 9 1 (18-13, 5-2 BSC)
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Pitchers: Campbell - MATTES, Ryan; THOMPSON, Ryan(7) and DELUCIA, Michael.
Presbyterian College - DEES, Beau; CORBIN, Tim(9); BYRUM, Brett(10); RICCHI, Michael(11);
MORRIS, Ryan(11) and LONG, Derek; ZEBEDIS, Brad.
Win-THOMPSON, Ryan(3-0) Loss-BYRUM, Brett(1-4) T-2:56 A-211
HR CAM - OLSON, David (1).
Weather: Mid-60s, clear, some clouds
DEES, B. faced 2 batters in the 9th.
