BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The University of Dayton baseball team picked up the first win of 2021 on Saturday, taking down Campbell 5-4 in Buies Creek, N.C.
 
"I really liked how Ben Olson got us started on the mound," head coach Jayson King said. "Andrew Zapka did exactly what we needed to finishing the game. Some of the situational offensive execution was also well done."
 
The Flyers improve to 1-4 on the season with the win. UD jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the third inning and held on late to earn a victory over Campbell. Senior Andrew Zapka kept the Camels off the scoreboard late, holding Campbell scoreless over the final 2.2 innings on the mound after graduate student Ben Olson opened the game strong, tossing 4.1 innings of one run baseball.
 
Offensively, junior catcher Jay Curtis went 2-4 with an RBI, while senior Riley Tirotta and junior Marcos Pujols each doubled in the win.
 
On the Mound
Olson put the Flyers in a good spot with his performance. In his second start of the season, the graduate student scattered two hits over his 4.1 innings of work, allowing just the one run and striking out one. Graduate student Tyler Jones finished the fifth inning for Dayton and got the first out in the sixth before his night ended. Jones went one inning and allowed one run on one hit and also picked up a strikeout.
 
Junior Bryce Hellgeth entered and allowed two runs on two hits in two-thirds of an inning of work. Senior Jonathan Brus got one out after relieving Hellgeth, allowing two hits. Zapka went the rest of the way, going 2.2 innings allowing just one hit and picking up the save.
 
Scoring Plays
Top 3: (3-0 Flyers)
Senior Mitchell Garrity led off the inning with a single before senior Mariano Ricciardi followed by reaching on an error by Campbell's shortstop. Tirotta was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A failed pick off attempt skipped into center field scoring Garrity and putting Dayton up 1-0. Pujols hit a ball past the first baseman, scoring Riccardi and Tirotta, making it 3-0 Dayton.
 
Top 4: (4-0 Flyers)
Junior Benjamin Blackwell led off with a walk. Two batters later Curtis moved Blackwell over to third on a well-executed hit and run. Garrity drove him in with a squeeze bunt extending the lead to four.
 
Bottom 4: (4-1 Flyers)
Matthew Christian hit a home run to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning, cutting the lead to 4-1.
 
Top 6: (5-1 Flyers)
Graduate student Eddie Pursinger reached on a one-out single to center field. He advanced to second on a wild pitch before Curtis drove him in with a single to center field.
 
Bottom 6: (5-2 Flyers)
A one-out triple chased Jones from the game and two batters later a single drove in another run for Campbell, cutting Dayton's lead to three.
 
Bottom 7: (5-4 Flyers)
A leadoff home run cut the lead to two. A walk and a single put runners on first and second and a one-out single just went past Blackwell at shortstop to load the bases. Zapka induced a ground out to second with one run scoring, but got the next batter to line out to center field to end the inning.
 
Up Next:
The Flyers will look to take the rubber match on Sunday at 12 p.m. against the Camels. Cole Pletka will take the mound for UD.