WINTER HAVEN, Fl. - The Quincy University softball team began their Florida trip by battling Cedarville University and Kentucky Wesleyan College on Friday (Mar. 6).
Mac Kenzie Collier went the distance as the Hawks defeated the Yellow Jackets 8-3 in game one, and
Bailee Highbarger followed by throwing the first complete game of her career in a 4-3 victory over the Panthers in game two.
Quincy 8, Cedarville 3
The Sunshine State treated the Hawks well on Friday, as QU had their bats going early and often.
Quincy jumped on the Yellow Jackets in the top of the first inning by scoring three runs.
Chelsea Hooker reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to third on a
Taylor Downen single.
Kari Sarhage stepped to the plate next and scored Hooker with an RBI single up the middle to put QU up 1-0.
Aubrie Dodd followed suit by ripping another RBI single down the right field line to plate Downen. Sarhage later used heads-up baserunning to score on a wild pitch and a throwing error by the Cedarville catcher to give the Hawks a 3-0 lead.
Junior pitcher
Mac Kenzie Collier sat the Yellow Jackets down 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the frame to put the bats back in the hands of Quincy's offense.
QU added to their lead in the second inning when
Chelsea Hooker launched a two-run homer over the left field fence to extend the lead to 5-0.
Cedarville scored three runs over the course of their next two at-bats to put the pressure on the Hawks, but Quincy answered in a big way.
Katelyn Gratza led off the fourth inning with a double to left center.
Jayle Jennings later brought Gratza around to score with a single to right center. QU led 6-3.
The Hawks added two insurance runs in the seventh inning when
Madeline Ruzicka came in to pinch-hit and smacked Quincy's second two-run home run of the game.
Collier limited the Yellow Jackets to three hits in the final four innings to record the 24th complete game of her career and secure the 8-3 victory.
Quincy 4, Kentucky Wesleyan 3
The first three innings of game two were a scoreless pitching duel. The Hawks were unable to get on the board, but freshman
Bailee Highbarger kept the Panthers off balance by only allowing one hit through three innings.
KWC broke through in the top of the fourth inning, however, plating two runs on three hits to take a 2-0 lead.
The Panthers later added a run in the fifth inning to extend their lead to 3-0.
QU got a run on the board in the sixth inning with an RBI single from
Kari Sarhage.
KWC had a runner on second and just one out in the top the seventh, but Highbarger was up to the task. The Amboy, Illinois native tallied her fourth strikeout of the game and forced a fly ball to keep the Hawks within striking distance heading into the bottom of the frame.
Things were not looking good for Quincy, as the first two batters fouled out. In search of an elusive two-out rally, the Hawks found just what they were looking for.
Casey Brennan reached on a single and advanced to second on an error by the left fielder.
Jayle Jennings scored Brennan with an RBI single down the left field line to bring QU within one, 3-2.
Jennings advanced to third when
Chelsea Hooker hit the third straight single for the Hawks.
Still down to the last out,
Ashley Gerber stepped into the box and delivered the biggest hit of the day for QU. The freshman from the Badger State hit a walk-off RBI single that scored both Jennings and Hooker after a fielding error in left field.
Quincy came away with a 4-3 victory and two wins on the day.
Game 1 Stat Leaders
Madeline Ruzicka - 1-1, R, HR, 2 RBIs
Chelsea Hooker - 1-4, 2R, HR, 2 RBIs
Jayle Jennings - 2-3, R, RBI
Mac Kenzie Collier - 7 IP, 3R, 8H, 3K
Game 2 Stat Leaders
Ashley Gerber - 3-4, RBI
Casey Brennan - 2-3, 2R
Bailee Highbarger - 7 IP, 3R, 8H, 4K
Up Next
The Hawks will face Ohio Dominican tomorrow (Mar. 7) at 9 a.m. (ET), followed by Bridgeport at 11:15 a.m. (ET).
