So, when the return trip came Thursday, under ominous skies, Campbell didn’t know how the night would unfold.
“It was tough,” Campbell said after the eighth-seeded Indians ended second-seeded Fenwick’s season 8-1. “I didn’t know how their field would be like, I didn’t know if it was going to rain again and we would have to go home and come back again …
“But I wanted to play. I was ready to play. I have been looking forward to playing them and staying in the tournament.”
Campbell showed how ready by leading off the game with a double into right to begin a 4-for-5 evening to help Carlisle into Monday’s sectional final at Waynesville against the winner of tonight’s Madison-Madeira contest.
“She has been that way all year,” Carlisle coach Tom Shelton said after his team improved to 10-14. “She has been swinging the bat well and getting us off to a strong start.”
Campbell scored on Cheyanne Reed’s single to center with one out for a 1-0 lead that looked like it might stand.
Carlisle turned a double play to get out of the first inning and Fenwick (18-7) stranded a runner on third in the second. The Falcons finally got on the board in the fourth when Emily Faucheux led off with a triple and scored when Micah Lehman singled to left.
“We have played from behind a lot this season,” Fenwick coach Tyler Callahan said. “We have fought back a lot, but they (Carlisle) hit the ball hard and we left runners on base, and that’s what happens.”
Fenwick stranded seven runners and was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
The Indians, who started 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position, turned the switch in the fifth inning when Hannah Henry singled up the middle to score Reed and Ashley Brown for a 3-1 lead. Carlisle added three more in the sixth and an insurance run in the seventh on Campbell’s fourth hit.
“That (the fifth inning) swung the momentum their way,” Callahan said. “We fell flat after that. It was a tough game, we were in it for five innings, but offensively, they just kept hitting the ball hard and it got away from us.”
Carlisle out-hit Fenwick 14-6, and over the last three innings the Indians were 6-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
“I was getting nervous,” Shelton said. “We had all those chances early and didn’t string anything together, but we just kept hitting. You never know with this team what is going to happen.”
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