Jonah Oster drives in the winning run for the Camels on Tuesday.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)
BUIES CREEK — Campbell defeated East Carolina, 3-2, for the fifth consecutive time and for their first win of the 2025 season Tuesday at Jim Perry Stadium in front of a capacity crowd of 1,121. The win was the first win under new coach Chris Marx.
Freshman utility player Jett Music pitched the final two and two-thirds innings and earned the win for Campbell (1-3) after playing in left field. He faced the minimum eight batters and recorded six strikeouts in his collegiate debut.
The five game winning streak over the Pirates (2-2) has been by one run each game.
Music scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh inning, reaching home on an RBI groundout from Jonah Oster.
Darnell Parker Jr. started the scoring in the second inning, hitting a sacrifice fly to center field with the bases loaded to score Ben Karpowicz.
ECU took the lead in the fourth inning, 2-1, with some help from defensive miscues by the Camels. Colby Wallace started the inning by drawing a walk. Three consecutive errors allowed Wallace to score and added two more base runners. Alex Bouche came around to score on a Nick Parham RBI groundout to give the Pirates the advantage.
After the fourth inning, the Camel bullpen controlled the game by allowing only three base runners in the final four innings. Mason Smith provided a solid start going four innings with five strikeouts and one earned run.
The CU pitching staff struck out 13 batters while giving up just three walks and allowing only two hits.
Cooper Clark was first out of the bullpen in the fifth. He allowed a single and a double but did not allow the runners to score, forcing a groundout to the shortstop.
Ethan Snyder replaced him to start the sixth inning, and he recorded a groundout and two strikeouts.
Snyder forced a fly out to start the seventh, but Music replaced him on the mound after Snyder hit the second batter of the frame. Music recorded a fly out and a strikeout.
The bottom of the seventh began with Parker getting hit by a pitch. ECU put Brad Pruett on the mound. Music singled through the left side to put two runners on base.
Andrew Schuldt came to the plate and with a 2-2 count, smacked a double down the left field line to score Parker and move Music to third, where he would subsequently score on the RBI from Oster.
After starting the eighth inning with a fly out, Music went on to strike out the final five batters.
The Camels continue their nine-game home stand with a series against Rider beginning on Friday at 5 p.m.
(Campbell media services provided the basis for this report)
Jett Music finished on the mound and scored the winning run.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)
Triton grad Dalen Thompson heads to first for the Camels.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)
