Campbell tops UNCW, 9-8, on Arnold’s walk-off homer

by Dunn Area Sports Staff | Mar 9, 2022 | Campbell, News & Features

Campbell’s Zach Neto barrels up for an RBI double in the first inning.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)

BUIES CREEK — Campbell had a walkoff win for the third time in eight days in topping UNC Wilmington, 9-8, on Tuesday night at Jim Perry Stadium.

Bryce Arnold played the hero with a one-out solo home run in the bottom of the ninth.

The win moves Campbell to 6-7, while UNCW falls to 7-5. Campbell has now won five of its last six.

Following a 30-minute rain delay in the bottom of the eighth inning, UNCW responded with four-spot off of Zach Neto in the top of the ninth to tie the game at 8. Neto escaped the inning with the potential go-ahead run left on third base.

Arnold, who entered the game batting .074, launched his first home run of the season on a 1-2 pitch to left field.

Campbell jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first before UNCW could record an out thanks to a pair of doubles from Neto and Jarrod Belbin.

Wilmington answered with two in the second and a solo home run in the third to even the score. But the tie game didn’t last long with Belbin notching his second RBI of the day on a groundout.

The Camels added two more in the fourth thanks to a Ty Babin double to deep right field and a safety squeeze by Arnold to take a 6-3 lead. Campbell tacked on two runs in the eighth just before the rain delay with a little help from the Seahawks on a wild pitch and an error.

George Ferguson turned in his best outing of the year on the mound, tossing five innings, allowing three runs and striking out nine, tallying season-highs in innings and strikeouts. Arnold helped Neto pick up the win. UNCW’s Cody Benton was tagged with the loss.

Campbell now gets set for its first true road tests of the season, a three-game series at No. 12 Liberty in Lynchburg, Va. First pitch on Friday is set for 4 p.m.

(Campbell media services provided the basis for this report)