Kevin Barron slides home with a run for Campbell in a 9-0 win over Rider on Tuesday. (Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)
BUIES CREEK — The Campbell pitching staff registered 17 strikeouts without allowing a walk as the Camels shut out the Rider Broncs 9-0 in baseball Tuesday at Jim Perry Stadium.
The 17 whiffs were the most for CU since at least 2005.
Redshirt senior Allan Winans (2-2) picked up the win, fanning a career-high 12 batters over six innings for his third straight quality start. His 12 strikeouts were the most by a Camel since March 6, 2015 when Heath Bowers collected a program record 15 strikeouts against Bowling Green.
Ray Pacella (0-1) was dealt the loss, giving up five runs on two hits and three walks over the first one and two-thirds innings.
Campbell (7-9) did not allow a base runner over the final three frames, as relievers Alex Yarem, Logan Bender and Tyson Messer pitched one inning apiece. Yarem notched one punch-out, while Bender and Messer had two each.
Luis Gimenez (2-for-3, 2 RBIs) extended his hit streak to 10 games — the longest by a Camel this season. The Barquisimeto, Venezuela, native had his first sacrifice fly as a Camel and stole two bases.
Matthew Barefoot (1-for-3, RBI) also had two steals, moving his total to 13 for the season. The outfielder from Midway now shares a tie for the nation’s lead in steals with Connor Kopach of Southern Illinois and Max Schuemann of Eastern Michigan.
Barefoot got the scoring started for Campbell in the bottom of the first, driving Gimenez in on a single to left. The Camels scored four runs in a wild bottom of the second with one hit, one error, two walks and three wild pitches.
Joe Zirolli (1-for-3, 2 RBIs) had a two-run single in the third, then scored on a single from Gimenez as Campbell claimed an 8-0 advantage. That score would hold until the bottom of the eighth, when Christian Jones (1-for-4, RBI) kept his hitting streak alive with an RBI single to score Kevin Barron.
Campbell will wrap up the two-game midweek series with Rider on Wednesday, March 14, with the first pitch set for 3 p.m. at Jim Perry Stadium.
(Campbell media services provided the basis for this report)
Tyson Messer delivers to close out Tuesday’s win. (Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)
