West Virginia Drops Series Against Campbell

The West Virginia Mountaineers (10-8) dropped their first weekend series following a 6-5 loss to the Campbell Fighting Camels (9-10) in the three-game series finale Sunday afternoon.

For the first time in the series, Campbell grabbed the early advantage when two drives from Lawson Harrill and Drake Peirson to the outfield into the swirling North Carolina wind on a bright sunny day dropped for consecutive triples to lead off the second inning scored the game's first run, and Logan Jordan's sacrifice groundball had Cambell up 2-0.

Dayne Leonard worked a leadoff walk in the fourth before Braden Barry drove his first career home run to tie the game at two.

2022 Preseason All-Big 12 Conference selection Jacob Watters' role was reversed on the afternoon, making his first start of the season and just the second of his career. The junior tossed four innings, allowed two runs on three hits and struck out three.

Freshman Chris Sleeper took the hill in the fifth, walked one, but made it out of the inning with the runner standing on first. However, Jarrod Belbin hit a high chopper over to third for an infield single in the sixth, and Harrill smacked a single into right field, placing runners at the corners. Then, hit Person on the 0-1 pitch to load the bases.

Head coach Randy Mazey made a trip to the mound before calling upon Pitt senior transfer Chase Smith. A fielder's choice over to third from Grant Knipp scored one before walking another to load the bases again. Then, a sacrifice groundball to second scored another as Smith before he got out of the inning on another ground ball as Campbell held a 4-2 lead heading into the seventh.

A deep groundball between first and second from Grant Hussey was enough for a one-out single, and he was moved to second on an infield groundball before a grounder over to short scored Hussey after an errant throw closed the deficit to a run, 4-3.

Another challenging play in the field scored another run for the Fighting Camels in the bottom of the inning. A high fly ball dropped passed the outstretched glove of a diving Tevin Tucker from shortstop brought in the speedy Zach Neto from first as Campbell regained a two-run advantage. Then, with runners on the corners and two outs, a steal at second prompted a play at the play, trying to get the third out with a short throw over the pitcher's shoulder to the shortstop failed as Beblin took home and extended the Campell lead, 6-3.

Tevin Tucker delivered a two-out solo home run for his second of the series, cutting the deficit back to two.

In the top of the ninth, a pair of walks and a single loaded the bases for the Mountaineers before Braden Barry put the ball in play for an RBI fielder's choice to bring WVU within a run, but that is all the Mountaineers could get across as Campbell took game three, 6-5.

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