QUINCY, Ill. – The Hawks played the role of host this weekend in back-to-back GLVC conference doubleheaders on Friday (Apr. 14) and Saturday (Apr.15) at QU Stadium. Due to unforeseen circumstances with Mckendree University, the series was moved to Quincy. Due to the weather, the matchup lost a day and gained a game.

The switch to the series favored the Hawks. Quincy took both double headers for four wins in the GLVC series sweep of the Bearcats. QU won game one, a nine inning contest, in seven innings by run rule. 15 runs crossed the plate for the Hawks in a 15-5 victory. The seven inning game two of Friday's double header also went to Quincy by a score of 5-2. Saturday's double headers saw QU put up 28 runs in two convincing wins 13-6 and 15-4, the second by run rule, to give the Hawks the 4-0 sweep.

Game One

The Hawks, visitors on the scoreboard in their own stadium, welcomed the MCK starter to the game in the top of the first with two runs. A rbi double from Lance Logsdon drove in Luke Napleton. The next batter, Nolan Wosman, ripped a single to left to score another and give QU a 2-0 advantage after the ballgame's first half inning.

QU starting pitcher Spencer Walker retired the side in order in the bottom of inning number one. The first of his seven innings of one earned run ball, good for a complete game victory in the run rule seven inning contest.
Quincy put a crooked figure on the board in the top of the second. A two-run bomb to right center by Brock Boynton put the Hawks ahead 4-0. A hit-by-pitch for Austin Simpson, followed by a rbi double down the left field line extended the lead to 5 after the Hawks second at bat.

Another 1-2-3 inning from Walker, this time featuring a couple strikeouts, brought the lineup back to the plate to score once again in the third. A double from Wosman along with a HBP for Dustin Dupont put men on first and second with two down. Boynton came through again, driving in a pair on a double to propel the advantage in the early stages even further to 7-0.

Walker faced the minimum once again in the third. A hit-by-pitch, sandwiched by two ground balls, one of them being a double play ball, got the Hawks starter through a very efficient first three frames.
After a quiet fourth from the QU lineup, Mckedree entered the scoring column in the bottom of the inning. Walker collected two outs while putting two men on via HBP before an error was committed on the infield, loading the bases. The Bearcats got the spark they needed, launching a grand slam over the left field wall to pull within three at 7-4.

QU got a run back in the top of the fifth. A sacrifice fly with the bases loaded, from Gino D'Alessio drove in Cole Erickson to make it 8-4. Walker worked a scoreless bottom of the fifth, bringing the lineup back to the plate to do damage in the sixth.

The Hawks used three homers and a single to do the six runs of damage in the sixth frame. A two-run homerun to right field for Logsdon put Quincy up 10-4. After a pitching change, Wosman followed up with bomb to center for back-to-back shots. Zach Parks ripped a double down the left field line for the fourth straight QU hit. He was driven in by the next batter, Erickson, on a rbi single. Dupont took one out to left center in the next at bat to score two more. Six straight hits for six runs put Quincy ahead 14-4 midway through the sixth.

The Bearcats tagged Walker for his first earned run in the bottom of the sixth. A leadoff double followed by a single plated MCK fifth run of the contest. Walker worked his way out of a jam with a double play to bring QU back to the plate for the seventh.

A single from Logsdon along with two walks loaded the bases for a Dupont rbi fielders choice to push the lead back to 10 at 15-5 after the top of the seventh. Looking to end the game early and earn a complete game victory, Walker utilized a fielders choice, a lineout and a game ending strikeout to finish off Mckendree in game one.

Stats Leaders:
Brock Boynton: 3-3, 4 RBIs, 1 Run, HR, Walk
Nolan Wosman: 4-5, 2 RBIs, 2 Runs, HR
Dustin Dupont: 2-3, 3 RBIs, 3 Runs, HR, Walk
Lance Logsdon: 3-5, 3 RBIs, 3 Runs, HR
Spencer Walker: 7 IP, 1 ER, Win, 2 Walks, 5 Ks

Game Two

The Hawks hopped on the Mck starter early, using two double and a single in the first three batter to jump out in front 1-0 with two men in scoring position. Gino D'Alessio lead off the contest with a double, followed by a RBI single from Austin Simpson, scoring D'Alessio to make it 1-0. A double to center from Napleton, advancing Simpson, allowed for a sac lineout to left from Lance Logsdon to make it 2-0 after the Quincy half of the first.
Mckendree got one back in the home half of the first. A homer to left center field cut the lead in half and made it 2-1 heading to the second.

Zach Parks led off the second inning of the seven-inning contest with a triple to the left center field gap. The next batter, Dustin Dupont, hoisted a fly ball to the centerfielder far enough to drive in Parks. The RBI sac fly made it 3-1 Quincy.

After getting tagged for a longball in the first inning, Hawks starter Griffin Kirn started to settle in for the second frame. The junior retired the side in order with two strikeouts to bring QU back to the plate for a third time.
D'Alessio singled through the left side of the infield to start off the top of the third. A fielder's choice moved D'Alessio to second and a stolen base landed him on third with one out. With a duck on the pond just 90 feet away, Luke Napleton put a charge into one, sailing over the right field wall for a two-run homerun. The shot extended the Quincy advantage to 5-1 midway through the third.

On the other side of the ball, Kirn looked to be settled and back in fine form in his third inning of work. The lefty set down the Bearcats in order for a second straight inning, also collecting two more strikeouts.
Although the QU lineup got two runners on in the fourth, the effort was unable to produce any runs, bringing Kirn back out for the bottom half of the inning. Kirn efficiently dispatched the Mckendree lineup 1-2-3 in the fourth. In the very same fashion as the innings before, an out in the field, followed by two strikeouts gave the starter six in the contest.

The Hawks went down in order in the fifth to put the Bearcats back at the plate for their fifth attempt at putting runs on te board against Kirn. The Quincy native got himself in and out of trouble, surrendering a single and a walk, but also striking out the side in the process to neutralize the threat.

QU got a two out triple down the left field line in the top of the sixth from Dustin Dupont, but couldn't convert on the opportunity. It was much of the same from Kirn in the Mckendree sixth. Three men up to the plate and three men back to the pine. Another strikeout, to conclude his day of work and close out the sixth inning, gave Kirn 10 punchouts on the day.

After an actionless QU seventh, the Hawks called on Carter Endisch to preserve the four run lead. The reliever quickly collected the first two outs via swinging strikeouts. A solo homerun followed by a popout to first spell a save for Endisch and a 5-2 win for Quincy.

Stat Leaders:
Griffin Kirn: 6 IP, Win, 1 ER, 2 Hits, 10 Ks, 1 Walk
Luke Napleton: 2-3, 1 Run, 2 RBIs, HR
Gino D'Alessio: 2-4, 2 Runs
Austin Simpson: 1-3, 1 Run, 1 RBI
Dustin Dupont: 1-3, RBI
 
Game Three

A scoreless top of the first brought Kobe Essien to the mound for QU in the bottom of the first inning. A MCK bunt single put the leadoff man on base. After a flyout, the runner stole second to put a runner in scoring position with one out. Essien got a strikeout and a foul out to put an end to the early threat.

Lance Logsdon led off the visitor's half of the second with a longball. The blast put the Hawks in front 1-0 after their first two turns at bat. Essien worked a scoreless bottom half of the inning, working around a hit-by-pitch and walk with two strikeouts to keep the Bearcats out of the scoring column in the second frame.

The juggernaut that is the Quincy lineup really got the ball rolling in the top of the third, sending nine hitters to the plate in a five-run half inning. A walk from Brock Boynton followed by a single from D'Alessio and a wild pitch put men on second and third with none down. A two RBI double down the left field line from Simpson made it 3-0 with still no outs. A single from Napleton along with a HBP for Logsdon loaded the bases. A fielders choice to the right side from Parks plated another run along with a single from Dupont to left center bringing home two more to make it 6-0 through the top of the third.

Essien worked scoreless innings in the bottom of the third and fourth innings, collecting three more strikeouts along the way. Quiet innings from the QU lineup in the fourth and fifth brought the Hawk starter back out to work in the bottom of the fifth.

A popout sandwiched by two singles put men on first and second for the Bearcats with one down. A double to right center plated both runners and got Mckendree in the scoring column, making it 6-2. The outburst prompted a pitching change from Quincy. The changed didn't slow the Bearcats, who grabbed two more runs on a triple and a single to draw within two at 6-4 after five innings.

JD Ortiz led off the sixth getting on base via hit-by-pitch. Boynton doubled to the opposite field in left center to put runners on second and third. A sacrifice groundout to the left side from D'Alessio plated a run and advanced Boynton to third. Up 7-4, Napleton left the yard for a two run bomb. The homerun gave QU a 9-4 lead after their half of the sixth inning.

A scoreless sixth inning of work from Cruz Meier in the sixth brought the Hawks to the plate for the final frame of the seven inning contest.

A leadoff double to right center from Parks put a man on with none down. Boynton singled up the middle to score the runner and make it 10-4. A single from D'Alesssio along with a HBP for Simpson loaded the bases. Napleton ripped a bases clearing double to center to end the scoring and give Quincy a 13-4 advantage.

After a pitching change, a single and a homerun for MCK in the bottom of the last made it 13-6. The deficit was too large to overcome, as the Hawks held on to a 13-6 victory, ensuring a series win heading into the final contest.

Stat Leaders:
Luke Napleton: 3-5, 2 Runs, 5 RBI, HR
Austin Simpson: 2-4, 2 Runs, 2 Runs, 2 RBI
Brock Boynton: 2-3, 3 Runs, 1 RBI, 1 Walk
Lance Logsdon: 1-2, 2 Runs, 1 RBI, 1 Walk, HR
Gino D'Alessio: 2-5, 2 Runs, 1 RBI
 
Game Four

Looking for a clean sweep of the Bearcats, QU got on the board early, once again. A double from D'Alessio and a flyout put a man on third with one down. Napleton continued his scorching hot hitting, blasting another homerun. The two run goner, followed by another jack from Logsdon in the next at bat, put Quincy ahead 3-0 after the top of the first.

Mckendree was equal to the task in the bottom half of the inning, answering the Hawks runs with three of their own to even the score at 3-3 after the first frame of the nine inning contest.

The first four Quincy hitters reached base to open the second stanza. A double from Cole Erickson, followed by a RBI double from Dupont and a two-run homer from Boynton made it 6-3 with no one out. A single from D'Alessio set the stage for Napleton's second homerun in the first two innings of the game. His third of the day, this time a two-run round-tripper, replenished the QU lead to five at 8-3.

Two singles and a double got a run back for MCK in the second to cut the deficit to four at 8-4.

A Dupont triple to lead off the third allowed for a sacrifice fly from D'Alessio to drive him in to start the scoring in the third. A walk and a single put two men on for a two RBI triple from Logsdon to press the advantage to 11-4.
After coming on in relief in the second inning, Hawk reliever Chase Gockel worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the third inning. A scoreless fourth from QU brought Gockel to the mound again in the bottom half of the inning. Two strikeouts and a groundout helped the reliever work around a walk in a scoreless fourth inning of work.

A walk from Napleton followed by a wild pitch and a fielders choice moved him to third with two outs. Nolan Wosman drove in Napleton and himself with a longball to make it 13-4 through five Hawk trips to the plate.
Gockel surrendered a leadoff single in the fifth but used two more strikeouts and a groundout to throw up another scoreless frame.

Erickson led off the sixth with a walk, followed by a HBP for Dupont put two men on. A fielder's choice put men on the corners with one down. A single up the middle from D'Alessio made it 14-4, and a sac fly from Simpson put the Hawks ahead by 11 at 15-4 and concluded the scoring for the game.

Roman Harrison collected three outs without allowing a run in the bottom of the sixth, using two strikeouts and a fielder's choice to move through the inning.

QU didn't score in the top of the seventh, bringing Brett Panick to the mound to close out the contest. After surrendering a single and a double, Panick bared down and got a foul out and two strikeouts to finish off the Bearcats and complete the sweep with a 15-4 win.

Stats Leaders:
Luke Napleton: 3-4, 4 Runs, 4 RBIs, 2 HRs, Walk
Gino D'Alessio: 3-4, 2 Runs, 2 RBIs
Lance Logsdon: 2-5, 1 Run, 3 RBIs, HR
Nolan Wosman: 2-4, 1 Runs, 2 RBIs, HR
Brock Boynton: 1-3, 2 Runs, 2 RBIs, HR