© Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Campbell baseball team picked up a win over a ranked in-state foe on Tuesday to improve to 3-5 on the season. The Camels bested Duke in midweek play to run their series winning streak to two games.
The Blue Devils entered the matchup ranked 17th in the nation. They fell to .500 on the year following the upset.
Campbell used a hot offensive start to build an early lead, outscoring their opposition 7-1 across the first four frames. Duke was able to close that gap to three runs in the seventh inning but was unable to plate a run in their last two at-bats. That’s not to say there wasn’t drama!
The Blue Devils loaded the bases in the ninth inning thanks to a pair of singles and a hit batter. Camels closer Bryce Schares was able to get out of the jam unscathed.
With the winning run at the plate, the pitcher struck out two straight hitters to end the game. He quickly let the opposing dugout hear about it.
Nothing fires me up more on a Tuesday evening than a dude closing out a game against a ranked team pic.twitter.com/Lx3XQ3oMeH
— Stephen Schoch (@bigdonkey47) February 26, 2025
Schares loudly chirped the Blue Devils before celebrating with the Campbell baseball team. The win meant something to the pitcher given Duke’s status as one of the sport’s top squads.
After the game, he broke down his reaction and the importance of the victory as the Camels look to build momentum. “That’s an in-state rival,” he said. “A ranked opponent… It was a big team win. We’ve had some bumps in the road… I like our fight.”
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Campbell got off to a rough start in the 2025 college baseball season. The Camels were swept by No. 22 UC Santa Barbara on opening weekend before dropping a subsequent series to Rider.
They have, however, picked up wins over East Carolina and now Duke in midweek play. They’ll hope this most recent upset provides a spark. Campbell hosts Georgia Southern in a three-game set starting Friday.