BUIES CREEK, N.C. - App State baseball dominated on the mound in game two against Campbell Saturday, winning 5-1.
Debuting for the Mountaineers, Virginia Tech transfer and starting right-handed pitcher Xander Hamilton held a top-30 team in some collegiate polls (Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game USA) to a single hit and no runs allowed through 6.1 innings of work.
Hamilton finished his outing with 10 strikeouts on the day, tying the second most by an App State pitcher since 2013, in his win and held a no-hitter through five complete before surrendering his lone hit to none other than the 2021 and 2022 Preseason Big South Player of the Year in Zach Neto.
Eli Ellington entered the contest in relief and continued to keep the Camels off balance offensively. Ellington tossed 2.2 innings, allowing a single run on one hit and struck out five.
Hamilton and Ellington combined for 15 strikeouts and only two hits allowed. Fifteen strikeouts as a pitching staff marked the third most since 2013. App State was four strikeouts shy of a single game record.
The Mountaineers plated their first run of the game and of the season courtesy of a Campbell error to lead 1-0 heading into the home half of the fourth. A sacrifice fly from RJ Johnson and an RBI-single from Luke Drumheller put the Mountaineers ahead 3-0 after eight.
App State would add two insurance runs in the ninth to lead 5-0 before Campbell was able to push one across in the final frame.
Austin St. Laurent, Drumheller and Andrew Greckel recorded the three Mountaineer hits on the day. St. Laurent led the team with two runs scored and is hitting .250 for the series.
The Black and Gold forced a credited loss to Campbell starter Cade Kuehler, who ranks No. 90 in the 2023 MLB Draft Prospects by Prospects live.
The rubber-match game three of the opening weekend series at Campbell is scheduled for Sunday. Sunday's first pitch is slated for 1 p.m. and will be aired on ESPN+.
The 2022 App State baseball season is presented by Chick-fil-A.
