QUINCY, Ill. - The Hawks closed out their opening weekend of the conference schedule series in a doubleheader on Sunday (March. 19), against the Miners of Missouri S&T. QU won the first contest, a seven inning game, in dominant fashion 11-2. Both batting orders feasted over the 9 innings of the second contest, but Quincy slugged their way to a 19-11 win to sweep the day and take the series 3-1. 

Game One

Kobe Essien got the start on the mound for QU, working a 1-2-3 top of the first. Gino D'Alessio led off the Hawk half of the first with a triple over the centerfielder's head. He was driven in on a sac fly from Luke Napleton making it 1-0 to end the scoring in the first. 

The Miners got the run back in the next frame on a homerun to even the score, although Essien did strikeout the side in the inning. The Hawks starter didn't give up a run for the remainder of his appearance, allowing the lineup to put Quincy back ahead in the fourth. Two walks and a HBP filled the bases for a Luke Napleton two RBI single down the left field line to move the score to 3-1 after four. 

S&T threatened in the top of the sixth, loading the bases, but Roman Harrison got out of the jam with a big strikeout looking to preserve the two run lead. After tightroping out of danger in the top half of the inning, Quincy put the game out of reach in the bottom of the sixth.  

Thirteen Hawk hitters saw four different Miner arms before three outs were recorded in the frame. Dustin Dupont gathered three RBIs in his two at bats in the eight run sixth inning. RBI singles from Nolan Wosman and Cole Erickson, a sac fly from Austin Simpson and RBI walks from D'Alessio and Brock Boynton rounded out scoring and made it 11-1 QU heading into the final inning. 

S&T loaded the bases and plated a run in the seventh but couldn't pull off the comeback bid, giving Quincy game one 11-2. 

Stat Leaders (Game One)

Luke Napleton: 1-2, 3 RBIs, Run,  2 BBs

Gino D'Alessio: 2-3, RBI, 3 Runs, 2 BBs

Lance Logsdon: 2-2, Run, 2 BBs

Brock Boynton: 1-2, RBI, 2 Runs, 2 BBs

Kobe Essien: Win, 5 IP, ER, 2 Hits, 7 K's, BB

Game Two

The Hawks were the first to enter the scoring column in the bottom of the first inning. Nolan Wosman drove Lance Logsdon to make it 1-0 Quincy after one. Logsdon launched a three-run bomb to right center in the next inning to further the lead to 4-0 at the end of the second. 

S&T scored three in the third to draw within one at 4-3. Zach Parks answered in the next inning with a two run homer to right center to extend the lead out back up to four at 7-3. The Miners chipped away another one in the fourth on a solo shot to right field to make it 7-4. 

Joe Huffman doubled down the left field line in the fourth to plate two more for QU. Two more runs for the Miners in the fifth made it 9-6. Nolan Wosman responded with a three-run homerun to left field in the bottom of the inning to pull ahead by six at 12-6. 

S&T scored five runs in the top of the sixth to pull back within one at 12-11, but it was all Hawks after that. Huffman homered to right center in the sixth to put QU up 13-11 after the inning. Quincy added six more runs in the seventh to take another huge lead in the late going. 

An Austin Simpson two-run homer, sac fly from D'Alessio, an RBI walk from Boynton and two more runs from a misplayed ball in right field put the Hawks up 19-11 after seven innings. Chase Gockel and Brett Panick worked a scoreless eighth and ninth inning to solidify the 19-11 win. 

The Hawks are back in action next weekend, playing host to Truman State University for another GLVC Conference Series. First pitch of the series is 3:00 p.m. on Friday afternoon (Mar. 24) for game one of the four game set. 

Stat Leaders (Game Two) 

Joe Huffman: 3-5, 3 RBIs, 3 Runs, HR 

Nolan Wosman: 3-6, 4 RBIs, 2 Runs, HR

Lance Logsdon: 2-4, 3 RBIs, 4 Runs, 2 BBs, HR

Zach Parks: 2-3, 2 RBIs, 2 Runs, 2 BBs, HR

Austin Simpson: 2-4, 2 RBIs, 2 Runs, 2 BBs, HR