QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University softball team split their final home contests of the season with the Bulldogs of Truman State University on Sunday (Apr.23) afternoon at the Mart Heinen Softball Complex. The Hawks used a five-run fifth inning to take game one 6-1, and dropped the second game in extra innings, 3-2.
Game One
Jayle Jennings opened the top of the first with two three pitch strikeouts. A lineout to the shortstop ended the Bulldog half of the first.
QU went down in order in the bottom half of the first frame to bring TSU back to the plate for the second. Truman State got into the scoring column with a two out homer. After a ground out and a line out, Jennings surrendered her loan run of the contest on the blast to right, making it 1-0.
A leadoff double down the left field line from
Bailey Mitchell put a runner in scoring position to open the bottom of the second. A lineout, groundout, and popup to the pitcher failed to advance the runner and ended the inning.
Jennings worked around a couple errors in the top of the third inning, still managing to face the minimum thanks to a double play ball. With two down, the second error of the inning gave the runner first base, but fast action from
Allison Kaiser in left field cut down the runner advancing to second to end the frame.
Another quiet inning from the Quincy offense in the third, and a 1-2-3 inning for Jennings in the top of the fourth brought the Hawks to the plate in the bottom of the fourth.
Myka Hurley dropped down a bunt single to lead off the inning. A groundout and stolen base from Hurley put a runner on second with one down. Mitchell ripped a single up the middle to drive in Hurley and draw the game at 1-1 after four.
An infield single led off the TSU half of the fifth inning, followed by a sacrifice bunt to put a runner on second with one down. A groundout from the next batter moved the runner to third along with another ground out to get Jennings out of the inning.
A one out single from
Allyson Maynard put a runner on first. A pinch running change and a stolen base from
Lindsey Fischer put a runner on second with a single out. A single from Kaiser put runners on the corners. A double steal scored a run and moved Kaiser to second.
Ashley Gerber laced a ball down the left field line for a triple, scoring Kaiser and pressing the lead to 3-1.
Later in the inning a two out single from
Taylor Downen drove in Hurley from second to make it 4-1. Mitchell smacked a triple to the warning track in right, scoring Downen to propel the lead further to 5-1. A full count walk from Jennings on a wild pitch scored Mitchell from third to make it 6-1 and close out the scoring in the fifth.
Jennings worked clean innings in the sixth and seventh innings to close out a 6-1 winner for the Hawks in game one.
Stats Leaders:
Bailey Mitchell: 3-3, 1 Run, 2 RBIs
Jayle Jennings: 7 IP, Win, 0 ER, 3 Hits / RBI, Walk
Taylor Downen: 1-3, 1 Run, RBI
Ashley Gerber: 1-4, RBI
Game Two
Brooklynn Fischer toed the rubber for QU in game two. Fischer surrendered a single to leadoff the game, but used a sacrifice out, lineout and strikeout to end the first frame.
Ashely Gerber led off the Hawk half of the first with a double to the right center field gap and advanced to third on a wild pitch.
Taylor Downen sent one back up the middle for an RBI single to plate Gerber for the first run of the game.
Fischer held the Bulldogs scoreless in the second and third innings, collecting a couple strikeouts in the process. Two more scoreless innings from the Hawks at the plate brought Truman State to the plate for the fourth.
TSU broke through in the fourth inning. After a groundout, two singles and a wild pitch put two runners in scoring position with one down. Two more singles drove in the runners to put the Bulldogs in front 2-1 after the top half of the fourth.
Quincy got the equalizing run in the fifth inning. A leadoff single from
Allison Kaiser along with a groundout put a runner at second with one down. A single from Hurley moved Kaiser to third, followed by a double to right center from Downen to even the score at 2-2 after five.
The Hawks threatened on multiple occasions but couldn't convert on the chances heading down the stretch. The Bulldogs outlasted QU with a run scoring single in the top of the ninth inning, to hand Quincy a 3-2 loss in extra innings.
The Hawks will be back in action again next weekend, travelling to Southwest Baptist on Saturday (Apr. 29) for a doubleheader against the Bearcats. QU takes on Rockhurst University to end their regular season on Sunday (Apr. 30) in Kansas City.
Stats Leaders:
Taylor Downen: 2-5, 2 RBIs
Brooklynn Fischer: 9 IP, 3 ER, 1 Walk, 9 Ks
Allison Kaiser: 2-4, Run
Ashley Gerber: 2-4, Run, Walk
