QUINCY, Ill. - The Hawks baseball team rallied to beat the University of Southern Indiana Thursday (May 10) in the first round of the GLVC tournament. The Hawks defeated the Screaming Eagles 5-4 in 10 innings thanks to a walk-off sac fly by Cody Birdsong.
Play by Play:
The Hawks offense found its stride just three batters into the bottom half of the first inning. Senior shortstop Brynn Martinez led off the bottom of the first with a double. Cody Birdsong popped out to bring senior first baseman Troy Wehde to the plate.
Wehde lined a triple off the wall in right centerfield, nearly missing a home run, to bring home Martinez and give the Hawks a 1-0 lead.
JC DeMuri singled home Wehde and the Hawks held a 2-0 lead after one inning of play.
The Screaming Eagles answered right back with a pair of runs of their own to tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the second.
QU took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth as sophomore designated hitter Michael Nielsen lifted his 11th home run of the year over the right-field wall.
The Screaming Eagles threatened in the top of the sixth after a pair of one-out hits put runners on second and third with one out. Karl Hirsch relieved starter Riley Martin with the Screaming Eagles trying to tie the game.
Hirsch got a groundout and a strikeout to end the threat and keep the Hawks ahead 3-2.
Both teams went quietly until the top of the ninth as the Screaming Eagles needed at least one run to extend the game.
Southern Indiana was down to its final strike with a pair of runners on base in the top of the ninth. A two strike, two RBI double to left center field gave the Screaming Eagles a 4-3 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth.
In the bottom of the ninth, the first two Hawks were retired to bring Chandler Purcell to the plate. Purcell worked a two-out single to left field to extend the game.
Cole Cimarolli pinch ran for Purcell as Matt Hilmes came to the plate to try to tie the game for the Hawks.
Cimarolli advanced to second on a passed ball to put a runner in scoring position for Hilmes. Hilmes delivered with an RBI single up the middle to tie the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth.
The Hawks and Screaming Eagles would head to the 10th inning tied at 4-4.
Southern Indiana placed a pair of runners on base via a pair of walks in the top half of the 10th. Alex Pribyl relieved Cole Crawford with one out and inherited both runners in the top of the 10th. Pribyl got a pair of outs to send the game into the bottom of the 10th tied at 4-4.
With one out in the 10th, Brynn Martinez tripled off the wall to bring up Cody Birdsong. Birdsong delivered with a sac fly to right field to score Martinez and give the Hawks a 5-4 win.
Stat Leaders for QU:
Brynn Martinez: 3-5, 1 3B, 2 Runs
Chandler Purcell: 2-4
Matt Hilmes: 2-4, 1 RBI
Alex Pribyl (W, 4-1): 2/3 IP.
Next up for the Hawks:
The Hawks will take on the winner of the Illinois Springfield vs. Missouri S&T tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.
QU's Record:
QU is now 36-15.
