CLINTON, Ms. – The Quincy University baseball team opened up the 2019 season at #18 Mississippi College on Friday (Feb. 15) with two games. The Hawks split the opening day games with a 13-7 win in the first match up and a 5-1 loss in game two.
Game 1
The Hawks' offense wasted no time in getting their bats going. Left fielder
Chandler Purcell started things off with a single to left center field. Shortstop
Ray Greco ripped a liner over the shortstop in his first at bat.
Mississippi College starting pitcher Chris Crosby was credited a wild pitch which allowed the runners to advance to 2nd and 3rd with no outs.
Senior
Cody Birdsong nearly took Crosby out of the park in the next at bat, but the Choctaw centerfielder made the catch at the wall. Purcell tagged from third to score Quincy's first run of 2019.
QU was not finished as
Michael Nielsen sent a ground ball to the right side in his first plate appearance. The Mississippi College second basemen collected the out, but Greco scored from third giving the hawks a 2-0 lead.
Starting pitcher
Riley Martin worked around a two-out double to keep the Choctaws scoreless after one.
In the second, the Hawks were unable to capitalize on a one-out single by
Jeff Hightower. In the bottom half, Martin hit the lead-off batter, but got a double play after catching a liner bucket him. The next batter grounded out as the score remained 2-0.
Things remained quiet in the third through fifth innings as the score still stood at 2-0.
Mississippi College broke through in the bottom of the sixth. The Choctaws lead off the inning with a triple. The next batter attempted to bunt in the runner from third but
Riley Martin corralled the out and kept the runner on base.
The Choctaws scored their first run on a sacrifice fly to right to make the score 2-1 with two outs in the bottom of the sixth.
Mississippi College's three-hole hitter doubled with two outs to keep the inning alive. In the next at bat, Mississippi College reached first on an error by second basemen
Cody Birdsong.
With runners on first and third, Martin picked the runner off at first, but the runner from third scored during the rundown to tie the score 2-2.
Karl Hirsch came in to replace Martin in the seventh inning.
The Hawks broke the game open in the top of the seventh.
Jeff Hightower drew a lead off walk, and
TJ Tamaccio followed with a rip up the middle.
Nolan Snyder bunted the runners over to second and third, and
Chandler Purcell was intentionally walked to load the bases.
A wild pitch by the Choctaw pitcher gave QU a 3-2 lead. Shortly after the wild pitch,
Ray Greco blasted a three-run homer over the left field fence to give the Hawks a 6-2 lead.
The Hawks took that lead into the 8th inning. The first batter was retired in the bottom the the 8th with a ground out to
TJ Tamaccio. The next two batters got on with a walk and a single.
Mississippi College cut the QU lead to 6-4 after a one out double scored a pair of runs. Another ground out gave Quincy two outs in the inning with a runner on third.
Two more singles made the score 6-5 and head coach
Josh Rabe brought in
William Sanchez to relieve Hirsch. Sanchez threw one pitch when catcher
Jeff Hightower gunned down a runner at second to end the inning.
The Hawks offense dealt the knock out blow in the final inning. Quincy scored seven runs on five hits and two home runs.
Jeff Hightower and
TJ Tamaccio went back-to-back with two outs to extend the Hawks lead to 13-5.
The Choctaws put two across in the bottom half, but the Hawks took game one 13-7 to open the 2019 season.
Game 2
Mississippi College struck first in the second game of the doubleheader. Starting pitcher
Nick Stroud got through the first inning unscathed with a pair of strikeouts. In the second inning, the Choctaws plated four runs with a pair of doubles and two free bases.
Mississippi College led 4-0 after two innings.
Sam Stephens came in to relieve Stroud in the 3rd inning. The lefty receiver gave up a solo shot in the inning, but held the Choctaws scoreless through the 5th.
Cody Birdsong answered by getting his first homer of the season in the fourth inning to make the score 5-1.
The score remained 5-1 up until the 7th inning as the Hawks could not break through.
Mississippi College starting pitcher Ryan Lane tossed all seven innings, allowed two hits, one earned, one walk, and eleven strikeouts.
Stat Leaders
At the Plate
Game 1
Ray Greco: 2-5, 3 RBI (3-run HR)
Jeff Hightower - 2-4, 3 RBI (HR)
TJ Tamaccio - 2-5, RBI (HR)
Game 2
Cody Birdsong - 1-3, RBI (HR)
On the Mound
Game 1
Riley Martin - 6 IP, 1 ER
Game 2
Sam Stephens - 3 IP, 1ER, 7K, 4BB
Hawk's Record
1-1
Next Game
Tomorrow (February 16, 2:00 p.m.) against Mississippi College.
