SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - The Quincy University baseball team saw its season come to and end Friday (May 17) in a loss to Drury University. The Hawks fell to the Panthers 7-5 in the NCAA Midwest Regional.

Play by Play

The Hawks got things started in the bottom of the first. Chandler Purcell roped a one-out double off the left field fence and Michael Nielsen scored him with an RBI double to the same spot. QU led 1-0 after one.

Drury threatened in the top half of the second inning by drawing two walks to put the pressure on the Hawks defense. Senior right-hander Nick Stroud settled in and struck out the side to get Quincy out of the jam.

The Panthers drew two more walks in the third inning to put two runners on. The Hawks were unable to wriggle out of the inning as Drury scored one run off one hit and a QU error to tie it at 1-1.

The visiting team took the lead in the fourth inning. The Panthers loaded the bases with nobody out and head coach Josh Rabe went to his bullpen. Hard-throwing freshman Jay Hammel entered the game and immediately forced a pop fly for the first out. Drury took a 2-1 lead off an RBI sacrifice fly before Hammel forced a ground ball to end the inning and limit the damage.

QU put two runners in scoring position in the home half, but were unable to push any across as the Panthers defense got them out of the inning.

The Panthers scored one run off two hits and a QU error in the top of the fifth to extend their lead to 3-1.

Quincy responded in the bottom of the frame. After back-to-back one-out walks from Joe Roscetti and Purcell, Michael Nielsen provided an RBI single through the right side to cut the lead to one at 3-2. 

Jeff Hightower reached base on a fielder's choice and Cody Birdsong got hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Hightower scored off a wild pitch to tie it at 3-3.

Nielsen and Birdsong came around to score off an error by the shortstop to give QU a 5-3 lead headed to the sixth. 

Neither team was able to get anything going in the sixth inning and the Hawks went to the bullpen in the seventh as Jeff Hightower took the mound.

The senior pitcher/catcher/designated hitter from Mascoutah, Illinois worked around a lead off single and shut down the Panther offense with two strikeouts.

Drury fought back in the top of the eighth inning. After back-to-back singles, Sam Stephens entered the game for the Hawks. The Panthers scored two runs off off three hits and a QU error before Stephens forced a pop fly to end the inning. The score sat tied at 5-5.

The Panthers took back the lead in the top of ninth, scoring two runs off three hits to take a 7-5 lead.

THe Hawks were sat down in order in the top of the ninth and their season came to an end.

Stat Leaders
Michael Nielsen - 3-4, R, 2B, 2 RBIs
Chandler Purcel l- 1-2, R, 2B

Nick Stroud - 3 IP, 2R, H, 5K

QU's Record
The Hawks finished the season with a 32-20 record.

Notes:

The 2019 senior class became one of the most decorated in program history as they finished with 149 wins, two GLVC Tournament Championships (2017, 2018) and one NCAA Midwest Regional Championship (2017).

The Hawks advanced to the first NCAA Division II College World Series in program history in 2017.

Head coach Josh Rabe became the all-time winningest coach at QU with 309 wins in his ninth season at QU.