BUIES CREEK, N.C. - App State baseball dropped game one of its season-opening series at Campbell 9-0 Friday night.
Tyler Tuthill and Cameron Carter kept the Mountaineers within reach against the Preseason Big South favorites as Campbell only led 3-0 through six complete until its six runs in the final two frames.
Tuthill tossed 4.1 innings, surrendering only two earned runs on just three hits allowed. In relief, Cameron Carter pitched 2.2 innings, allowing one run on one hit and struck out three.
Despite allowing a lead-off batter to reach base in six innings, the Mountaineer pitching staff surrendered only five hits on the night to a squad that advanced to a NCAA regional final last season. Only four of Campbell's nine runs on Friday were earned.
Offensively, Campbell stifled App State as the Mountaineers struck out 18 times, tied the most since 2016 against Virginia. Thomas Harrington, the Big South Preseason Pitcher of the Year, recorded a career-high of 13 strikeouts in six innings of work in his win.
Hayden Cross connected on one of App State's three hits of the night, an infield-single through the right side. Andrew Terrell and Austin St. Laurent posted the other two hits for the Black and Gold.
Terrell ripped a one-out double down the left-field line in the seventh and was moved over to third via groundout by Hunter Bryson. However, App State would not be able to push Terrell across.
App State was also able to put a runner in scoring position in the top half of the fifth, but a two-out strikeout eliminated the Mountaineers' threat to tie the game at one apiece.
Two Campbell runs in the fifth, courtesy of a sac fly and a single, expanded the Fighting Camel one-run advantage to three, 3-0 through five. Campbell then pushed a run across in the seventh to accompany a five-spot in the eight en route to its 9-0 victory.
App State will look to bounce back in game two on Saturday to tie the series. Xander Hamilton is the projected Saturday starter on the mound for the Mountaineers.
Saturday's first pitch is slated for a 3 p.m. start and will not be aired on ESPN+.
The 2022 App State baseball season is brought to you by Chick-fil-A.
