BUIES CREEK, N.C. – In a battle of two top 20 nationally-ranked teams in No. 17 Coastal Carolina and No. 14 Campbell, the home-standing Fighting Camels scored five runs over the first two innings in a 9-4 non-conference win over the Chanticleers on Monday night in Buies Creek, N.C.
 
The loss drops Coastal to 3-2 versus top-25 nationally-ranked teams this season and to 20-10 overall on the year. Campbell improved to 25-6 on the season with the win.
 
Coastal's offense, which entered the game averaging 10.3 runs and 11.7 hits per game this season, was held to four runs on eight hits in the loss.
 
The Chants hit just .250 (3-for-12) with runners on base and only .200 (2-for-10) with runners in scoring position while leaving six runners on base.
 
The Camels' offense, which averaged 10.4 runs and 11.3 hits per game this season, scored nine runs on 12 hits despite stranding 12 runners on base in the win.
 
Campbell hit .292 (7-for-24) with runners on base and .300 (6-for-20) with runners in scoring position but hit a stellar .625 (5-for-8) to lead off the inning.
 
CCU lead-off hitter Payton Eeles (3-for-5, 2 2B, RBI, run, SB) led the visitor's offense with a team-high three base hits, including two doubles, while outfielder Nick Lucky (2-for-4, 2 2B, 2 RBIs) and first baseman Zack Beach (2-for-4, run) both had two hits each in the loss.
 
Campbell's offense was powered by clean-up hitter Tyler Halstead (3-for-4, BB, 2 runs) with a team-high three base hits, while Lawson Harrill (1-for-3, 2B, BB, HBP, 3 RBIs) drove in game-high three RBIs. Three other Camels in Jarrod Belbin (2-for-4, HBP, RBI, run), Bryce Arnold (2-for-5, HR, RBI, 2 runs), and Dalen Thompson (2-for-2, 2B, RBI, run, SB) all had two base hits and an RBI in the win.
 
Taking the loss on the mound for the Chants was starter Levi Huesman (1-4). The true freshman hurler gave up five runs on five hits, two walks, one hit batter, and three strikeouts over 1.1 innings pitched.
 
Out of the bullpen, CCU's redshirt junior Will Smith threw a career-high 3.2 innings and matched his career high with three strikeouts while giving up two runs on three hits and one walk to get the Chants to the sixth inning.
 
The win went to Campbell's Ty Cummings (1-1), as the normal reliever for the Camels picked up the start, firing 5.0-scoreless innings and holding the Chanticleers to just four hits and three strikeouts.
 
Campbell jumped on the Chanticleers early, as the first six hitters in the bottom of the first inning reached base safely. The first hitter was hit on the very first pitch, while the next two Campbell hitters singled to right field to load the bases.
 
Following a bases-loaded walk to push across the first run of the game, Harrill laced a bases-clearing double to right-center field to score three more runs and put the home team on top 4-0 just one inning into the contest.
 
While the Chanticleers stranded a runner on base for the second consecutive inning in the top of the second inning, the Camels added to their lead in the bottom half of the frame on a solo home run from Arnold to push the lead to 5-0 heading into the third inning of play.
 
Despite a double from Eeles in both the third and the fifth innings, the Chants were unable to string together a series of hits and stranded a combined three runners over the third, fourth, and fifth innings to trail 5-0 midway through the contest.
 
After sending down the first eight batters he faced, including three strikeouts, from the second through the fourth innings, the Fighting Camels finally got to Coastal's Smith in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring two runs on back-to-back RBI base hits from Drake Pierson and Jonah Oster to extend the Camels' lead to 7-0.
 
The Coastal offense finally broke through in the top of the seventh inning, as Graham Brown and Beach opened the inning with back-to-back base hits.
 
Following a fly out to left field, CCU's Orlando Pena hit a ball that bounced past the Campbell third baseman and into left field for an error that allowed Brown to score from second and get the Chants on the scoreboard.
 
Eeles followed with an RBI single to second base and stole second to put runners on second and third with two outs following a line out. CCU's Lucky hit a well-placed double to left field to clear the bases and cap the four-run inning to put the Chants down just three at 7-4 going into the seventh-inning stretch.
 
However, the Fighting Camels scored the next two runs, plating one in the seventh and one in the eighth to put the final score at 9-4.
 
Coastal (20-10, 9-3 Sun Belt) and Campbell (25-6, 11-1 Big South) will play again tomorrow at 4 p.m. ET in Jim Perry Stadium.

For complete coverage of CCU baseball, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalBaseball (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUsports (Instagram), or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at www.GoCCUsports.com.