Offensive aggression, Bunting, lead Camels to Bootheel W over Tigers

Campbell High School senior hitter Logan Townsend connects with a Caruthersville pitch in the opening round of the Bootheel Conference Tournament on Monday in Caruthersville.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

CARUTHERSVILLE – Attitude in sports can make a world of difference and that was evident in the case of Campbell’s baseball squad on Monday.

Just six days after managing just six hits against Caruthersville pitching and losing 9-3 to the Tigers, the Camels took a very different approach at the plate in the opening round of the Bootheel Conference Tournament in Caruthersville and knocked off the hosts 7-2.

“Last week,” second-year Campbell coach Quinton Stevens said following the win, “we didn’t swing the bat. This week, we did.”

The Camels, who have now won six of their past seven games, belted out 13 hits on Monday, including three from sophomore Jackson Melvin.

The Tigers led 1-0 in the third inning, but Campbell put across three runs in that inning, another run in the fourth, and two more in the fifth.

“We had the mentality of ‘If the first pitch is there,’” Stevens explained, “then hammer it.’”

In that critical third inning, Camel junior Carson Weidenbenner drew a one-out walk before senior Sam Bunting connected for a single into left field.

Campbell senior Jared Jennings brought Weidenbenner home to tie the game at one with a double, and junior Tanner Smart scored Bunting with an RBI single to center field.

Melvin then scored Jennings with a single into left field for a 3-1 margin.

“We preach swinging the bat,” Stevens said, “hit the ball and be aggressive.”

While the Camel offense was clicking, Bunting was controlling the Caruthersville offense.

Bunting worked 6 1/3 innings and gave up just one earned run on seven hits. He walked three and struck out 14 Tigers.

“Our approach at the plate,” third-year Caruthersville coach Joey Middleton said of the difference in the game. “(Campbell) came up looking to make an impact when they stepped in the box, and we were looking to get a call from the umpire.

“We just didn’t have the aggressive mentality.”

Jennings added two hits, including a double, two runs, and an RBI in the win while Weidenbenner (one run, one RBI, two walks), Bunting (one hit, one run, one walk), Smart (two hits, one run, one RBI, one walk), junior Ben Rowland (two hits, two RBI, freshman Carson Belcher (one hit, one run), and senior Logan Townsend (two hits, including a double, one RBI) also contributed.

Caruthersville got a couple of hits out of sophomore Dandridge McGraw, as well as one RBI while junior Kamron Watkins-Isbell (one run, two walks), junior Ryan Guest (one hit, one RBI), sophomore Bill Middleton (one hit, one run, one walk), freshman Bryce Glisson (one hit), sophomore Evan Bullington (one hit), sophomore Jared Hudgens (one double), and senior Tristen Hill (one walk) were also productive.

Middleton, Hill, Watkins-Isbell, and Guest each nabbed a stolen base.

Watkins-Isbell threw four innings and gave up eight hits and four earned runs while walking one and striking out three.

Middleton pitched the final three innings and gave up three earned runs and five hits while walking three and striking out three.

The Camels (11-7), who have had their most successful season in three years, will play the winner of Portageville vs. Senath-Hornersville for the title.

The Bulldogs and Lions match-up was rained out on Monday.

Caruthersville (15-8), which is enjoying its most successful season in seven years, will host Cooter on Saturday (time TBA).