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BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Below the twilight sky at Jim Perry Stadium on the campus of Campbell University, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore baseball team battled hard against a challenging Fighting Camels squad, fresh off an NCAA regionals appearance from a year ago. Although it was a tight game for a majority of the way, the Hawks fell by a score of 8-0.

Junior Tanner Whiteman (Cazenovia, N.Y.) started on the mound for UMES, and was able to fend off the Fighting Camels thru his tenure on the hill. He would go seven innings, his longest outing of the season, giving up seven hits, two earned runs, a pair of walks and three strikeouts. He also held off a couple of Campbell rallies, stranding several runners in scoring position and pickoff off another would-be Camels run.

Campbell opened up the scoring in the second inning. After a one out walk to the Camels' Cole Hallum, two more Campbell batsmen recorded back-to-back singles. The second single by Brian Taylor scored Hallum to give the Camels a 1-0 lead.

The Hawks would respond with several rallies which were thwarted by Campbell starter Nick Thayer. Sophomore Justin Dattilo (Pittsburgh, Pa.) laced a leadoff double, but a strikeout, ground out and fly out kept him from scoring. Fellow sophomore Jordan Martin (Atlanta, Ga.) started a two out rally with a single in the fifth. After Martin stole second and junior Mike Escanilla (Waldorf, Md.) reached on an error to put runners on the corners, Thayer retired the side on a punchout.

Fighting Camels designated hatter Steven Leonard reached on a single in the sixth inning, and wound up creating a second run almost entirely on his own. He would steal second, advance to third on a bunt and would come in to score on a wild pitch to make the score 2-0 Campbell. The Camels would tack on a third run in the seventh.

Junior J.P. Black (Elkton, Md.) replaced Whiteman in the eighth inning and allowed a run to the home team on a single and a double. He would be relieved before the inning was over, and Campbell broke the contest open, scoring five times before a third out was recorded. Meanwhile, UMES would go six up, six down in the final two innings as Campbell reliever Travis Long sealed the victory.

UMES will finish their weekend at the Fighting Camel Classic against the Miami University RedHawks. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m., with senior Jordan Bone (Pittston, Pa.) on the hill for the Hawks. The RedHawks will counter with Nathan Williams.