QUINCY, Ill. - The Quincy University softball team picked up a pair of wins over Huntington University Monday (Feb. 26). The Hawks won the first game 9-1 in five innings, and game two 6-5.
The Hawks tallied 13 hits in game one, led by Jessica Poore who went 3-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Dana Walsh went 2-3 with a pair of RBIs and two runs scored.
QU scored three runs in the top of the first. Courtney Kernich led off the inning with a bunt single. Jessica Poore followed with a walk. Morgan Heckman then doubled to score Kernich and advance Poore to third, making the score 1-0. Later in the inning, Megan Sharpshair singled to left field to score Poore and Heckman, increasing the Hawk lead to 3-0.
QU extended its lead to 4-0 in the top the second, after Kernich walked and then scored on a Poore triple.
Huntington plated their only run in the bottom of the second to cut the Hawk lead to 4-1.
The Hawks added two more runs in the fourth. Dana Walsh led off the inning with a triple and then scored on a Geri Westerhoff single. After Westerhoff advanced to third on a Poore single, she scored on a passed ball to make the score 6-1.
In the top of the fifth inning, the bats came alive after the first to batters flew out. After Sharpshair walked, she advanced to third after Remi Ferguson stretched a single to advance to second base. Walsh then singled to left field, scoring both runners. Walsh later scored on a Westerhoff single to make the score 9-1. The Hawks would get out of the bottom of the fifth three up, three down to seal the victory.
Mackenzie Collier dominated all five innings, allowing one run on six hits and recording six strikeouts.
In game two, both teams went through a scoreless first inning. Huntington took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second.
QU scored two runs of their own in the bottom of the second. Sharpshair singled to left field and advanced to second after a Ferguson walk. Walsh then reached first on a fielder's choice and advanced Ferguson to second. Raigen Schwartz doubled to left center to score both runners and give QU a 2-1 lead.
The hits continued to come for both teams in the third. Huntington scored two runs on two hits in the top of the inning to take a 3-2 lead.
Heckman tripled to right in the bottom of the third and scored on a Kylie Powers single to tie the game.
After a scoreless fourth inning, the Hawks regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth. Heckman walked to lead off and then scored on a Powers double to take the lead 4-3.
The Hawks plated two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Schwartz singled to center and advanced to second on a passed ball. Kernich scored Schwartz on a bunt single and came all the way around to score herself after a Huntington throwing error, extending the lead to 6-3.
Huntington threatened to tie the game in the top of the seventh after scoring two runs on three hits. Sara Demuth was able to get the final out and give the Hawks a 6-5 victory.
Demuth was credited with the win after going four innings on the mound, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out two.
QU tallied 10 hits in the second game. Powers went 2-4 with 2 RBIs and Schwartz went 2-2 with 2 RBIs and a run scored.
The Hawks are now 3-3 on the season and travel to Springfield, Illinois to take on Wisconsin Parkside and Purdue Northwest (March, 2-4).
