KANSAS CITY, Mo.- The Quincy University softball team played their final games of the season against the Hawks of Rockhurst University on Sunday (Apr. 30) in Kansas City, Mo. The Hawks split with RU, dropping the first contest 7-4, and taking the second 5-1 behind a complete game effort from Eileen McGinnis.

Game One

QU got a runner on base in the top half of the first inning on a single to right from Taylor Downen but couldn't scratch a run across in the frame.

The Hawks of Rockhurst plated the first run of the contest in bottom half of the first on a fielder's choice to take the lead 1-0.

Quincy answered with four runs of its own in the top of the second inning. A double from Casey Brannan followed by a two out single from Maddy Findley knotted the score at 1-1. A walk along with a two RBI single to right field from Ashley Gerber put the Hawks ahead 3-1. Mykah Hurley drove in another in the next at-bat on an error to propel the lead further to 4-1.

Rockhurst got two runs back in the bottom half of the third inning. Three singles, the last driving in a pair, pulled RU within one at 4-3 after three innings of play.

Jayle Jennings kept Rockhurst off the scoreboard for the fourth and fifth innings. Jennings worked around a one out triple in the fourth and a leadoff single in the fifth to hold the Hawks of Rockhurst at bay until the sixth.

RU opened the bottom of the sixth inning with a game tying blast to right center field to make it 4-4. After a pitching change, an RBI single, HBP and three wild pitches saw QU surrender their lead and make the score 7-4 heading into Quincy's last turn at the plate.

Rockhurst collected the final three outs of the contest in the top of the seventh to preserve the 7-4 comeback victory over QU.

Stat Leaders:
Taylor Downen: 2-4
Ashley Gerber: 1-4, Run, RBI
Maddy Findley: 1-3, Run, RBI
Casey Brennan: 1-3, Run

Game Two

Eileen McGinnis worked a scoreless frame in the bottom of the first inning after an unsuccessful scoring effort from the Hawks in the top half of the frame.

QU advanced a runner to third in the top of the second, but couldn't convert on the chance, bringing Rockhurst to the plate for their second turn at the plate. RU utilized a longball to left on the first pitch of the bottom of the second to pull out in front 1-0 after two.

Quincy got into the scoring column in the top of the fourth inning. Bailey Mitchell singled to left to leadoff the inning. Jayle Jennings reached on an error by the second basemen to put runners at second and third with none down. Casey Brennan walked to load the bases before a wild pitch scored Mitchell to even the score with one down. Following a strikeout for the second out, Allison Kaiser singled to left to drive in a couple runs to make it 3-1 after the QU half of the fourth.  

McGinnis worked scoreless innings in the fourth and fifth, bringing the Hawks to the plate for the top of the sixth inning.

Kaiser added two insurance runs with a blast to center field. Brennan also scored on the longball to make it 5-1 after the Quincy half of the sixth.

The QU starter, McGinnis, worked two more scoreless innings in the sixth and seventh, ending the game on a strikeout, to complete the complete game and closeout the win to end the season for the Hawks 5-1.

The Hawks end their season on the losing side of an 8^th place tie in the conference standings. The Panthers of Drury University edged out QU in the tiebreaker for the last spot in the conference tournament. Quincy concludes the year at an even 22-22 with a 13-11 conference mark.

Stat Leaders:
Allison Kaiser: 2-2, Run, 4 RBIs, HR, Walk
Bailey Mitchell: 2-3, Run, Walk
Eileen McGinnis: 7 IP, Win, 1 ER, 4 Hits, 4 Ks, 2 Walks
Ashley Gerber: 1-4
Taylor Downen: 1-4