FARMVILLE, Va. — Senior outfielder Jeff Hahs belted two home runs in a 7-2 win as Campbell completed a three-game sweep at Longwood on Sunday afternoon.
Hahs connected on a solo homer and a two-run shot for his second and third home runs of the series. The O’Fallon, Ill. native later added a single for his second three-hit performance of the season.
Matthew Barefoot also logged a multi-hit outing with a double and an RBI single for the Camels. Luis Gimenez hit his first home run as a Camel while Ty Babin and Kyle Mehl each recorded sacrifice flies in Sunday’s win.
Redshirt-freshman Logan Bender (4-0) was credited with the win, tossing two innings of relief with an earned run on one hit and two strikeouts.
Longwood’s Tyler Morgan (2-3) took the loss, allowing six earned runs on five hits over seven complete innings.
Campbell starter Brandon Jenkins went three innings, giving up one earned run, one hit and five walks. The freshman right-hander also struck out three in his seventh start of the season.
Five Camel relievers combined for four scoreless frames to close out the game, highlighted by a 1-2-3 inning from Barefoot with two strikeouts and a popout in the bottom of the eighth.
Campbell (23-17, 15-3 Big South) struck first as Gimenez cranked a solo home run in the top of the first. The Barquisimeto, Venezuela, native sent the 0-2 offering from Morgan over the left field wall.
Longwood (13-25, 6-12 Big South) tied the game in the bottom of the second with an RBI single through the left side from Grant Keller.
Hahs put the Camels back on top with his second home run of the series, as the right fielder from O’Fallon, Ill., blasted a solo shot to left field in the top of the third.
Campbell added two more to its lead in the top of the fourth. After Zach Minnick and Tyler Anshaw advanced to second and third on a balk by Morgan, Babin and Mehl posted back-to-back sacrifice flies to put the Camels up 4-1.
Hahs plated two more in the top of the fifth with his second homer of the game. After Barefoot led the inning off with a double to left center, Hahs launched the first pitch he saw deep to left for a two-run shot that gave CU a 6-1 edge.
Longwood scored its last run of the day on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth. Pinch hitter Ryan Shull reached on an infield single, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch before coming home on another to make the score 6-2, Campbell.
Barefoot rounded out the scoring for the Camels with an RBI single in the top of the ninth. The redshirt-sophomore knocked a 2-0 offering from Longwood reliever Michael Catlin to left field, scoring Mehl.
With nine conference games remaining, Campbell has already clinched a top-8 seed for the 2018 Big South Tournament. The Camels hold a three-game lead in the conference standings with a 15-3 record. High Point, Liberty and Winthrop are all tied for second at 12-6.
Up next, Campbell is set for a midweek rematch with in-state rival UNCW on Wednesday, April 25. The Camels and Seahawks will square off at 6 p.m. at Brooks Field in Wilmington.
(Campbell media services provided the basis for this report)
