Camels claim third straight Big South baseball championship

by Dunn Area Sports Staff | May 21, 2021 | Campbell, News & Features

The Camels hoist the Big South Conference championship trophy.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)

BUIES CREEK — Campbell clinched its third consecutive Big South Conference regular-season baseball championship with a 13-3 win over High Point on Thursday night.

The Camels are the second Big South program to win three straight regular season titles, joining Coastal Carolina.

Campbell improved to 31-14 overall and 26-9 in league play. Campbell extended its program-record conference winning streak to 11 games. High Point dropped to 14-29, 12-23.

Campbell pitching was solid again, allowing three runs (or fewer) for the fourth time in the last five games. Cade Kuehler worked four and two-thirds innings and allowed two runs, while Logan Heintzman picked up the win with two and one-third innings in relief and is now 6-0 on the year. Cade Boxrucker worked the final two innings, allowing one hit and no runs.

The Camels took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI single from Zach Neto, who had been sidelined since May 8. He went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a walk. Neto has a .410 batting average.

Tied at 1-1 in the third, Campbell took the lead for good with a four-run inning. Packard supplied the big hit in the frame with a monster two-run home run to right, his ninth of the year. Measured at 413 feet, it was the fourth longest home run hit at home this season.

The Camels added to the lead in the fifth on a double steal that resulted in an error and two runs. The hosts added lone runs in the sixth and seventh.

Campbell added four runs in the eighth, two scoring on wild pitches before Collin Wolf lifted his sixth home run of the year to left.

Campbell has secured the top seed in the Big South tournament next week in Fayetteville at Segra Stadium.

Campbell and High Point cap the regular season Friday with a doubleheader at Jim Perry Stadium beginning at 2 p.m. Each game of the twin-bill will be streamed on ESPN+.

(Campbell media services provided the basis for this report)