SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Hawks finished up their GLVC weekend series, and top 25 showdown, with another doubleheader against the host Prairie Stars of the University of Illinois – Springfield on Sunday (Apr. 2) afternoon. QU dropped the first game, a seven-inning contest, by a score of 14-5. The Hawks dominated the second game 10-1, behind a strong performance on the mound by starter Jay Hammel.
 
Game One

Quincy plated a run in the top of the first inning with a man down. A double from Luke Napleton followed by a single to center from Lance Logsdon chased Napleton home to score the first run of the game and make it 1-0 after the first half inning.

The Prairie Stars got into the scoring column in the next half inning. Using three extra base hits, including a homerun, two singles and a walk to push across four runs and pull out in front 4-1 after one.

QU got one back in the top of the second inning on a leadoff homerun for their second run of the game making the score 4-2 heading to the bottom of the second.

A resilient UIS offense picked up where it left off the inning before, adding two more runs on three singles and a walk to buffer the lead at 6-2. The Prairie Stars lineup was incredibly responsive in the contest, answering every Hawk scoring inning with one of their own in the bottom half.

The Hawks were 90 feet away from scoring in the top of the third with men on second and third base but couldn't convert on an infield popout. A scoreless bottom half brought Zach Parks to the plate for the top of the fourth. Parks doubled to right field and was driven in two hitters later by a JD Ortiz opposite field blast to pull back within two at 6-4.

Springfield utilized four hits and a sacrifice fly to tack on three more runs in the bottom of the fourth. The scoring outburst pressed the tally to 9-4. The Prairie Stars stepped on the gas in the fifth, plating four more runs to put the game out of reach for the Hawks heading into the final two innings of the shortened, seven inning contest.

Down 13-4 in the sixth, Austin Simpson put a charge into one to left field for a homerun to give QU it's fifth run of the game. A lone run in the bottom of the sixth inning from UIS ended the scoring for the game and gave the Prairie Stars a 14-5 win, and a 2-1 lead in the series.

Stat Leaders:
Zach Parks: 2-3, 2 Runs, 1 RBI, HR
JD Ortiz: 1-3, 1 Run, 2 RBIs, HR
Austin Simpson: 1-3, 1 Run, 1 RBI, HR
 
Game Two

Fresh off his best start of the season last weekend against Truman State, graduate student starter Jay Hammel was in fine form in his first inning of work. After surrendering a single to the leadoff man, Hammel struck out the next two batters and got some help from his catcher, Luke Napleton, who gunned down the runner at second to end the first.

QU got a runner on third in the top of the second, after Austin Simpson doubled and advanced to third on a groundout, but couldn't push the run across. Hammel retired the side in order to bring Quincy back to the plate for the top of the third in this nine inning contest.

With a one down in the top of the third, freshman, Ben Dahlof smacked a double to right field to put a man in scoring position. The next batter, Gino D'Alessio, turned on one to left field sending it over the wall to put his team ahead 2-0 after the top of the third.

Hammel maneuvered around two singles in the bottom half of the third in working another scoreless frame while also collecting one more of his career high 12 strikeouts.

Two one out singles from Zach Parks and Joe Huffman found runners on first and second with Logan Voth at the plate. The senior delivered an rbi double to center to propel the lead to 3-0 after the top of the fourth.

Another blank frame from the QU starter in the bottom of the fourth along with one for the Hawk offense in the top of the fifth brought Hammel back to the mound for his fifth inning work in the bottom half. After threatening in the innings before, UIS finally got into the scoring column in the bottom of the fifth. A leadoff homerun closed the gap to two at 3-1 heading to the sixth.

A walk to Voth to leadoff the sixth inning saw him advance to second on a sacrifice from Ben Dahlof. Gino D'Alessio drove in Voth from second in the next at-bat on an rbi single up the middle to get the run back and replenish the lead to three at 4-1.

Two more dominate innings in the bottom of the sixth and seventh from Hammel, in which he gathered four more strikeouts, spelled the end of a good day's work for the big right-hander.
The final two innings were all Hawks. A two run homer to leftfield from Napleton, scoring D'Alessio, put QU up 6-1 in the eighth. After a pitching change, Quincy homerun king Lance Logsdon took one for a ride over the centerfield wall to make it 7-1.

Eli Ecton came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth and surrendered two quick singles. The righty responded took care of the situation just as fast as he created it, striking out the side to get out of the inning.

Still not finished in the top of the ninth, Dahlof singled in the infield then stole second with a man down. D'Alessio replaced Dahlof with a rbi double to right center, pressing the lead further to 8-1.

 Luke Napleton came to the plate next and drove a ball out to left, his second consecutive at-bat with a homerun, and his 15 through the 26 games played this season. The bomb tied him for second in nation for longballs and put QU up 10-1 heading into the final half inning.

Closer, Brett Panick came on to shut the door in the ninth, and shut it he did. Two groundouts sandwiched around a walk and a strikeout gave the Hawks a 10-1 winner, and a 2-2 draw in the series of GLVC heavyweights.

The Hawks will be on the road once again for their next game, taking on the Mules of the University of Central Missouri for a one game, midweek, contest on Tuesday (Apr. 4) afternoon in Warrensburg. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.

Stat Leaders:
Jay Hammel: Win, 7 IP, 1 ER, 12 Ks, 6 Hits, Walk
Luke Napleton: 4-6, 2 Runs, 4 RBIs, 2 HRs
Gino D'Alessio: 4-6, 3 Runs, 4 RBIs, HR
Lance Logsdon: 2-5, 1 Run, 1 RBI, HR, Walk
Ben Dahlof: 2-4, 2 Runs