No. 1 Campbell Outlasts No. 2 USC Upstate, Advances to Title Game
For the first time since 2016, the Camels have advanced to the Big South Championship Game, after defeating USC Upstate 2-0.
Campbell will face the winner of USC Upstate again, out of the loser's bracket tomorrow in the championship game at 1 p.m. on ESPN +.
Coming out of the winner's bracket the Camels will only need one win to clinch the Big South title. If the Camels were to lose the first game tomorrow, a second championship-deciding game would be played at 4:00 p.m.
The game was a defensive struggle with both pitchers continually finding ways out of jams during the game.
Through the first four innings, the Camels left five runners on base including having the bases loaded in the first inning with no runs coming across to score.
Upstate threatened to break the 0-0 deadlock in the fifth inning as the Spartans loaded the bases with two outs. Upstate's Madison Lanoux ripped a line drive to left field that looked to score at least two before Campbell's
Bri Bryant raced over towards the line and snagged the line drive to end the inning.
Campbell broke through in the bottom of the fifth as
Destini England doubled to score
Bri Bryant from second base as the Camels took a 1-0 lead.
England doubled the Camels advantage as she scored later in the inning on a
Claire Blount double to left center.
The Spartans rallied in the seventh inning, however, loading the bases with no outs courtesy of two singles and a walk.
In the jam, coach
Sharonda McDonald-Kelley went to the bullpen taking out starter
Georgeanna Barefoot for redshirt freshman
Kayla Howald.
Facing the top of the lineup, Howald got Upstate's Sarah Price to line out to first base where
Claire Blount turned and dived just tagging the base with her glove before the Upstate runner did, completing the double play.
Howald went on to force a ground out to third base to end the game, as the Camels escaped to the championship game with the 2-0 victory.
Barefoot (12-6) got the win in the circle for Campbell, giving up no runs, six hits, and earning two strikeouts through six innings of work.
Savannah Brown (8-6) took the loss for the Spartans giving up two runs off five hits in four and a third innings pitched.