QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University softball team played two games on Sunday (March 6) at the Spring Games in Clermont, Fla. The Hawks dropped the first game to Upper Iowa, 9-3, before rebounding for a 5-0 shutout over Walsh.
 
Quincy is now 5-5 going into the final day in Florida. QU has split three of the five days.
 
Junior Tiffany Harbison (Waterloo, Ill.) and freshman Kristen Skala (Westmont, Ill.) combined on a four-hit shutout against Walsh to push Quincy's record back to .500.
 
Harbison worked the first two innings without allowing a baserunner before giving way to Skala, who put on the finishing touches to a stellar pitching performance. Walsh did not have a baserunner reach scoring position.
 
QU opened the scoring in the second as senior Samantha Ledbetter (Tuscola, Ill./Olney Central) and sophomore Karli McLaughlin (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg) reached with walks before junior Samantha Goble (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Mt. Pleasant) plated Ledbetter with an RBI double.
 
The Hawks benefited from two errors by the Cavaliers (3-2) in the third to score twice, including one on an RBI single by senior Rachel Scrum (Maryville, Ill./Collinsville/UT-Martin).
 
In the fifth, sophomore Abby Burton (Springfield, Ill./Glenwood) singled in Ledbetter, who doubled to lead off the inning. Ledbetter's run-scoring single in the sixth closed the scoring.
 
Ledbetter went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, two runs and an RBI to lead the offense. QU drew four walks off Walsh starter Ryan Kuula (1-2), who took the loss.

Skala (2-2) was credited with the win, scattering four hits across five relief innings. She struck out four and did not walk a batter.
 
In Sunday's opener, Quincy fell behind early as the Peacocks (7-7) plated a run in the first inning off starter, sophomore Meghan Quirk (Minooka, Ill.). UIU tacked on five more in the third to take a commanding 6-0 lead.
 
Junior Lindsey Greene (Ottawa, Ill.) got Quincy on board in the bottom of the third by blasting a two-run homer – her second of the season.
 
Upper Iowa put the game out of reach with a three-run fifth inning to make it 9-2. Quincy got a run back in the seventh on an RBI single by freshman Jackie Farbak (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way).
 
Quirk (1-2) took the loss, allowing five earned runs on five hits in two innings. Freshman Kasey Bradley (Waterloo, Ill.) came on in relief, working four innings. Harbison pitched the seventh.
 
The Hawks will play two in-region teams on Monday's of competition in Florida. QU faces off with Saginaw Valley State at 2 p.m. CT and Grand Valley State at 4 p.m. CT.