QUINCY,IL--- The Quincy University baseball team began its season with a 10-2 victory over No.22 Davenport. The Hawks ace Riley Martin had a career high 11 strikeouts, while QU's offense blasted four home runs.
Martin opened the game with a clean top of the first while pumping his fastball in the low 90s. Gino D'Alessio then deposited a ball into the parking lot to lead off the bottom of the first and the Hawks took a 1-0 lead. Martin worked around a leadoff double in the second, and had five strikeouts through two innings.
Martin opened the third with his fourth strikeout in a row, and worked a clean frame standing runners on base. Martin worked out of a bases loaded jam in the fourth, senior catcher Jacob Kalusniak tripled to left center field to drive in Brock Boynton and Eric Tipton to push QU's lead to 3-0 in the bottom frame of the inning. This was all the run support QU would need after a stellar outing on the mound against the No.22 Panthers.
Senior outfielder Justin Eads hammered a home run to right center field toward the scoreboard that gave QU a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth.
Martin returned to the mound for the seventh, and it was not until then that the Panthers could scratch a run across against the lefty. Martin finished with 111 pitches while allowing just two earned runs through seven innings of work while picking up his 22nd career win on the mound.
Second baseman Dayson Croes homered in the seventh to give QU a 6-2 advantage. D'Alessio then smashed a triple, Nolan Wosman hit a two run home run, and Tipton doubled as QU notched a five-spot in the eigth inning to put the game out of reach.
Seven of QU's ten hits went for extra bases, and relief pitcher Brett Taucher closed the door with two scoreless innings and earned the save.
Stats
D'Alessio --- 2-5 (HR, 3B), 2 RBI, 2 R
Kalusniak--- 2-3 (3B), 2 RBI, 1 BB
Tipton---2-4 (2B), 2 RBI
Wosman --- 1-3 (HR), 2 RBI
Martin (W)-- 7 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 11K, 2BB
Taucher (S)---2 IP, 2 H, 1K, 1BB
Next
Hawks will play Davenport tomorrow at 12 & 3 at QU stadium.
