QUINCY, Ill. – The Hawks baseball team won its second straight GLVC Tournament Championship with two wins on Sunday (May 13). The Hawks defeated the Bellarmine Knights 6-5 to advance to the championship game against Indianapolis. The Hawks beat the Greyhounds 8-4 to win the GLVC title.
Play by Play:
Game 1 vs. Bellarmine:
The back and forth battle between the Hawks and the Knights began right away with Bellarmine plating a run in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead.
The Hawks answered with a run of their own as Matt Hilmes singled home Michael Nielsen, who had doubled with one out in the frame.
With the scored tied at one, the Knights struck for three runs on four hits in the bottom of the third inning.
The Hawks offense would not go away despite the three-run deficit.
With two outs and a runner on first TJ Tamaccio singled to put runners on first and second. Brynn Martinez followed with a bunt single to load the bases for Cody Birdsong.
Birdsong was hit by a pitch, bringing home Matt Hilmes and cutting the Bellarmine lead to 4-2.
Troy Wehde immediately followed with a single to right center field to tie the game at 4-4 as TJ Tamaccio and Brynn Martinez scored to tie the game.
The Knights immediately retook the lead with a run in the bottom of the fifth on a sacrifice fly.
Still trailing by one in the top of the eighth the Hawks offense came through again. JC DeMuri drew a walk with one out in the frame.
Michael Nielsen followed with a single to right field to put runners on first and second.
Chandler Purcell was hit by a pitch to load the bases for senior Matt Hilmes.
Hilmes delivered again with a clutch two-RBI single to score DeMuri and pinch runner Cole Cimarolli to take a 6-5 lead into the bottom of the eighth.
The Knights put runners on first and second with one out, but Alex Pribyl worked out of the jam to keep the Hawks ahead 6-5.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Knights placed runners on first and third with no one out. Cole Crawford got a strikeout for the first out of the inning.
A squeeze attempt was thwarted by Crawford as he came off the mound to get the tying run at the plate for the second out.
A walk loaded the bases for the Knights with two outs.
Crawford got a line-out to Cody Birdsong to end the game and send the Hawks to their second straight GLVC Tournament Championship game.
Game 2 vs. Indianapolis (GLVC Championship)
The Hawks immediately got on the board in the top of the first inning. Brynn Martinez was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning.
Martinez scored all the way from first base on a throwing error that also allowed Cody Birdsong to reach second base.
JC DeMuri made the score 2-0 with an RBI double.
Michael Nielsen reached on a hit by a pitch to put two runners on. Chandler Purcell singled home DeMuri and the Hawks led 3-0 after the top of the first.
Making just his second start of his career, redshirt freshman Sam Stephens allowed just one run over five innings pitched and just five hits against the Greyhounds.
In the top of the third, the Hawks plated three runs to extend the lead to 6-0. Four straight hits for the Hawks plated the three runs in the frame for QU.
The Greyhounds scored one run in the bottom of the fourth to cut the lead to 6-1.
QU answered right back with a run of their own in the top of the fifth. An RBI double by Jake Viaene with two outs gave the Hawks a 7-1 lead.
The Greyhounds scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth, but Brendan Saak was able to come out of the bullpen and limit the damage. Heading into the seventh the Hawks led 7-3.
Saak held the Greyhounds scoreless in the seventh before handing the ball to Brandan Moriarty.
Moriarty set the Greyhounds down in order in the eighth to keep the lead 7-3 heading into the final inning.
QU added an insurance run in the top of the ninth to take an 8-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth.
The Greyhounds scratched across a run in the bottom of the ninth, but the lead was too much, and QU held on for is second straight GLVC Tournament Championship.
This is the third championship under head coach Josh Rabe.
Stat Leaders for QU:
Game 1
Brynn Martinez: 3-5, 1 Run
Michael Nielsen: 3-4, 1 Run
Matt Hilmes: 2-3, 3 RBI, 1 Run
Troy Wehde: 1-5, 2 RBI
Jack Widhalm (W, 2-0): 4 1/3 IP, 2 Hits, 1 ER, 4 SO
Cole Crawford (S, 11): 1 IP, 1 H, 1 SO
Game 2
JC DeMuri: 3-5, 3 Runs, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Chandler Purcell: 3-4, 3 RBI, 1 Run, 2 2B
Jake Viaene: 3-5, 1 RBI
Next up for the Hawks:
The Hawks will now play in the NCAA Midwest Regional against Ohio Dominican. The Hawks gained the number five seed in the region.
QU's Record:
QU is now 39-16.
