SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Quincy University Softball team made the short trip over to Springfield to take on the Prairie Stars of the University of Illinois – Springfield for a midweek GLVC doubleheader. The Hawks split with UIS in the Tuesday (Apr. 18) matinee showdown, dropping the first 1:00 p.m. contest 7-3, and winning the 3:00 p.m. game 7-4.
Game One
QU got on the board first, plating a run in the top half of the first inning.
Ashley Gerber reached on an error from the third basemen, pulling into second to open the contest. After a sacrifice bunt to advance Gerber to third, she was driven in via a wild pitch to put the Hawks out in front 1-0 after the first half inning.
The Prairie Stars responded in the bottom of the first, using three straight hits to plate a couple runs and reclaim the lead 2-1 through the first frame. After a quiet top of the second from Quincy,
Jayle Jennings set down the side in order in the UIS half of the second.
The Hawks got back into the scoring column in the top of the third inning. A hit-by-pitch and stolen base from
Allison Kaiser along with a single through the left side from
Mykah Hurley put runners at the corners with one down.
Taylor Downen then doubled to center, driving in both runners to put QU back out in front 3-2 after the Quincy half of the third.
Springfield had a response for the Hawks scoring once again, plating three runs of their own in the bottom half of the third. Two singles, a double and an error provided the spark for the Prairie Stars, putting them ahead 5-3.
Both sides refrained from scoring a run in the fourth and fifth innings, pressing the contest into the later innings. Quincy couldn't break through in the top of the sixth, bringing UIS back to plate for the bottom half.
The Praire Stars tacked on two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to expand their lead to 7-2, and went on to retire the Hawks in the top of the seventh to solidify the victory for Springfield.
Stats Leaders:
Taylor Downen: 1-3, 2 RBIs
Mykah Hurley: 1-2, 1 Run
Jayle Jennings: 1-3, 6 IP, 0 Walks
Game Two
The Hawks, in similar fashion to the first game, found their leadoff hitter,
Ashley Gerber, on base to open the game. This time she reached on an infield single but wasn't able to be driven in as the next three hitters recorded outs.
Brooklynn Fischer was called on to toe the rubber in the circle for QU in game two. The freshman surrendered a leadoff double, but worked around it, getting two walks and a strikeout to keep the score even heading into the second frame.
Fischer and the Prairie Star starter went back and forth with scoreless innings. Fischer collected two punchouts in the second and two more in the third. Neither side broke through into the scoring column until the fourth inning, when UIS used a walk followed by three straight singles to pull out in front 2-0 after four.
The Quincy offensive unit still struggled to find any traction, going down in order in the fifth and sixth innings. Senior,
Eileen McGinnis came on in relief of Fischer in the bottom of the sixth inning. Springfield padded their lead by two in the frame, utilizing four singles and three stolen bases to propel the lead further to 4-0 heading to the last inning.
Down more runs than outs left to work with, the Hawks put together a stunning seventh inning to surge out in front in the final inning. Jennings reached on a leadoff error. After an out, a single from
Courtney Mills put two on for QU. A strikeout brough the Hawks down to their last out, still trailing four.
A walk from Kaiser loaded the bases, followed by another walk, this time from Gerber, to make it 4-1 with the bases still loaded and two down. Hurley and Downen kept Quincy alive, capitalizing on back to back errors in the infield to keep the bases loaded and draw within one at 4-3.
Still down to their last out,
Bailey Mitchell came through in a big spot. A rbi single up the middle drove in a couple and made good on the QU comeback effort, nearly all on the final out of the game.
Up 5-4 and still not finished. A walk for Jennings to reload the bases along with an rbi single to right field for
Casey Brennan plated a couple extra insurance runs, bringing the total for the inning up to seven, and extending the lead to three at 7-4.
McGinnis got two flyouts and a strikeout looking to close out the bottom of the seventh, complete the comeback, and collect her first win of the season.
The Hawks will be back in action on Saturday (Apr. 22) for another GLVC doubleheader, this time against the Cardinals of William Jewell College. First pitch of game one from the Mart Heinen Softball Complex is slated for noon.
Stat Leaders:
Casey Brennan: 2-4, 1 Run, 2 RBIs,
Ashley Gerber: 2-3, 1 Run, 1 RBI
Bailey Mitchell: 1-4, 1 Run, 2 RBIs
Courtney Mills: 2-4, 1 Run
Brooklynn Fischer: 5 IP, 5 Hits, 0 ER, 6 Ks
