LEBANON, Ill. – The Quincy University baseball team split their double header with McKendree on Friday (March 1). The Hawks fell in game one 4-3 and took game two 6-4.
Game 1
Quincy was the first to strike in the first game of the doubleheader. Lead off hitter
Chandler Purcell doubled to right field, and senior shortstop
Ray Greco blasted a home run to give the Hawks an early 2-0 edge.
Starting pitcher
Riley Martin worked a 1-2-3 first inning to bring the Hawks back to bat.
Quincy was retired in order in the top of the second, and Martin looked to have another quick inning. The lefty worked around a one out single to move the game to the third inning with QU leading 2-0.
Three batters to the plate, and three outs for the Hawks sent the Bearcats to the dugout to hit. In the bottom of that inning, McKendree responded.
After the first batter was retired, QU made back-to-back errors to put runners on second and third. A single through the right side loaded the bases for the Bearcats.
The next batter hit a single down the right field line that scored two unearned runs. The score sat at 2-2 as Martin minimized the damage.
In the top of the fourth, the Hawks started the inning with a lead off walk to
Cody Birdsong.
Michael Nielsen singled to right to put men on first and second.
Freshman
Lance Logsdon advanced them with a grounder to first base, and
Jeff Hightower saw four pitches out of the zone to load the bases.
The Bearcats walked
Cole Evans in the next at-bat, and Quincy gained a 3-2 lead. The Hawks were unable to put up more runs as the game moved to the bottom of the fourth.
Martin ran out for the fourth and tossed another 1-2-3 inning to keep the Hawks ahead.
Both teams were held scoreless until the bottom of the sixth when McKendree pushed across another run. A double and two walks loaded the bases for McKendree. A wild pitched allowed the Bearcats to tie the game 3-3.
The score stood tied until the eighth. In the top half, the Hawks fell victim to a strike-out-throw-out double play after a Birdsong single. QU was not able to get anyone else on base, and the game moved to the bottom of the frame.
Riley Martin was relieved by
Karl Hirsch to end the starters day. Martin tossed seven innings with three runs allowed, one earned, and eight strikeouts.
Hirsch recorded the first out before running into trouble after a single and a hit by pitch put two runners on. The next batter doubled bringing in the go-ahead run.
The reliever got out of the inning, but the Hawks were unable to match the score in the top of the ninth. Quincy fell 4-3.
Game 2
The first two innings were quiet for both teams. Starting pitcher
Aaron Stone collected four strikeouts in the first two innings pitched.
Quincy was the first to get on the board in the top of the third inning.
Justin Eads reached base on an error, then proceeded to steal second. Senior third basemen got on base with a single to make it a first and third situation.
Center fielder
Nolan Snyder drove in Eads with a hit as Tamaccio advanced to third. Quincy led 1-0.
Chandler Purcell drove in Tamaccio with a ground out to first base to extend the Hawks lead to 2-0.
That score would stand up until the bottom of the sixth inning. McKendree tagged a two-run home run to tie the score 2-2. Stone worked out of the inning to keep the game notched.
The QU offense picked up their pitcher with a four-spot in the seventh inning. A double by Purcell scored Snyder,
Ray Greco singled to score Purcell, and
Cody Birdsong cranked a three-run home run to give Quincy a 6-2 lead.
In the seventh and eighth innings, Willie Sanchez and
Jack Widhalm threw up zeros to keep the 6-2 lead intact. McKendree made things slightly interesting in the final inning.
The Bearcats got a two-out, two-run home run to cut the Hawks lead to two, but closer
Alex Pribyl got the next batter out to end the game.
Game 1 Stat Leaders
Ray Greco - 1-4, 2R HR
Riley Martin - 7IP, 3R, 1ER, 8K, 2BB
Game 2 Stat Leaders
Cody Birdsong - 1-4, HR, 3RBI
Nolan Snyder - 2-4, RBI
Aaron Stone - 6IP, 2R, 4H, 9K, 2BB
Record
7-2
