BUIES CREEK, North Carolina – The UNCW softball team fell in both games of its non-conference doubleheader against long-time rival Campbell Tuesday at Amanda Littlejohn Stadium.
In their final non-conference games of the regular season, Campbell (27-24) posted a 4-2 victory over UNCW (17-29) in nine innings that spoiled the effort of Seahawk junior Casey Rowland, who established a new program mark with 17 strikeouts. The Camels completed the doubleheader sweep with a 3-0 victory in game two.
UP NEXT: UNCW returns to the road this weekend as it travels to Towson for a three-game Colonial Athletic Association series that begins with a Noon doubleheader on Saturday. Campbell closes out the regular season May 2-3 with a Big South series at Charleston Southern.
HOW IT HAPPENED (Game One): The two teams traded runs in the third as UNCW used a Campbell error and a sacrifice fly by senior Brittany Gamby to take a 2-0 lead, only to see the Camels take advantage of a two-run home run from junior Erica Johnson in the bottom half of the frame to tie the game at 2-all.
The game would remain tied at 2-2 until the bottom of the ninth, when Johnson struck for her second two-run home run of the game to give the Camels the 4-2 victory.
AT THE PLATE (Game One): Johnson was 2-for-4 with four RBI to pace a Campbell attack that finished with nine base hits. Kerstine Womack went 4-for-4 while three players finished with one hit each.
Freshman Nella Chamblee went 2-for-3 while senior Morgan Ayers and freshman Lauren Moore accounted for UNCW's other two base hits in the contest. Gamby recorded the lone Seahawk RBI in game one.
IN THE CIRCLE (Game One): Courtney Roberts picked up the win for the Camels as she improved to 9-8 on the season. In a complete-game effort, Roberts allowed two runs (both unearned) on four hits and three walks. She struck out five.
Rowland was the tough-luck loser as established a new program mark with 17 strikeouts in 8.1 innings of work. The Albany, N.Y., product moved to 9-12 on the season as she allowed four runs on nine hits and two walks.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE (Game One): The two teams combined to leave 12 runners on base (UNCW 5; Campbell 7) … Rowland struck out 10 different Camel batters during the contest … The two teams combined to put their leadoff batter on base in four of 18 attempts.
HOW IT HAPPENED (Game Two): Campbell took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a UNCW error and doubled its margin to 2-0 in the third on a leadoff home run from Courtney Klingler.
The Camels added an insurance run in the third as Womack plated Jessica Anderson from second on a two-out single that made it 3-0.
That would be all the support that Katie Baker would need, as the Camels' hurler had just one batter reach base over the final three innings to give the freshman her fourth shutout of the season.
AT THE PLATE (Game Two): Milly Martinet was 2-for-3 while Klingler and Womack were both 1-for-3 with a RBI for Campbell.
Four players – Moore, Chamblee, senior Casey Shue and freshman Claudia Spinelli - finished with one hit each for the Seahawks.
IN THE CIRCLE (Game Two): Baker scattered four hits over seven innings to record the shutout and improve to 12-9 on the season. Baker did not issue a walk and struck out six in her complete-game effort.
Freshman Peyton Jordan took the loss for UNCW in game two to move her record to 7-15. In six innings of work, Jordan surrendered three runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks. She struck out one.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE (Game Two): The two teams combined to leave 10 runners on base (UNCW 5; Campbell 5) … All four of UNCW's hits came from the Seahawk's top four hitters while five of the Camels' six base knocks were from their top four batters … The two teams combined to put their leadoff runner aboard in just three of 13 attempts … UNCW advanced a runner into scoring postion in three of seven trips to the plate … There was just one stolen base attempt in the contest.
NOTES: Rowland's strikeout effort in game one shattered the previous program mark for strikeouts in a game of 12, set by both Rowland and former hurler Jess Luckett … UNCW moved to 2-12 this season in road contests … The Seahawks slipped to 1-17 overall when scoring two or fewer runs in a contest … UNCW moved to 2-2 this season in games decided in extra innings … The Seahawks finished the regular season with a non-conference record of 14-20.
