BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Cole Bauml collected two hits and drove in the only run for the Northern Kentucky University baseball team in a 10-1 loss to Campbell to open the 2015 season for both teams.
 
Cody Kuzniczci went 1-for-4 with a double, one of two extra-base hits for NKU (0-1) on the day. Pitching for the first time since the 2013 season, Matt Jefferson got the start for the Norse, giving up three runs on five hits and striking out two in 3.1 innings.
 
Seth LaRue reached base five times for Campbell (1-0), going 3-for-3 with a pair of walks, two runs scored and two RBIs to pace the Camels, who combined for 10 hits on the day. Brian Taylor went 2-for-3 with a double and Danny Pardo drove in a pair of runs in a pinch-hitting role.
 
Heath Bowers got the win on the mound for Campbell, giving up a run on five hits and striking out nine Norse batters over six innings of work.
 
After the Norse went down in order in the first, Campbell got its 2015 offense started quickly on a 1-0 triple to left center by Cedric Mullins to put the pressure on, but he was taken off the base paths trying to score on a sharp grounder to Norse shortstop Kyle Colletta.
 
Clark Pence picked up NKU's first hit of the year, a seeing-eye single through the left side on a 2-0 pitch with two outs in the top of the second. He moved into scoring position when David Head followed up with a seven-pitch walk before a groundout by Ryan LeFevers ended the Norse threat.
 
A leadoff walk to LaRue led to Campbell's first run in the bottom of the second inning. Cole Hallum followed up with a single before a Matt Parrish sacrifice bunt put two in scoring position. LaRue was able to come in on a wild pitch from Jefferson to Taylor.
 
The Norse used heavy hitting to get the run back in the top of the third after Caleb Lonkard led the inning off with a double before Bauml tied things up with an RBI triple.
 
The Camels got the running game going the second time through the lineup, stealing three bases in the third inning to plate a pair of runs to make it a 3-1 game. Steven Leonard gave the Camels the lead back after being hit by a pitch. Leonard stole second and came in on an Anthony Lopez shot back up the middle. Lopez took second on a passed ball and stole third before scoring on LaRue's RBI-single.
 
Bowers settled things down for Campbell on the mound, retiring eight Norse batters in a row before Bamul opened the sixth inning with an infield single. Kuzniczci followed up with a double that bounced over the third-base bag to put a pair in scoring position, but Bowers bore down, retiring the next three Norse in order to preserve the Camel lead.
 
Campbell would play add-on late, scoring four runs in the seventh and three more in the eighth to reach the final score.
 
The teams will conclude the three-game series on Saturday with a twin bill beginning at 1 p.m. Jake Shaw will take on Nick Thayer in the opener while NKU's Wendell Wright will take on a Campbell pitcher to be named in the series finale. John Asalon will have the play-by-play action on NKUNorse.com.