MARION, Ill. – The Quincy University baseball team held off a first-round scare with a walk off walk from Luke Napleton to survive and advance over the Miners of Missouri S&T in the GLVC Championship Tournament. The ninth inning heroics, highlighted by the walk off walk, propelled the Hawks to a 9-8 win.

S&T got to QU starter Spencer Walker in the first inning. Two singles, a double and an RBI groundout put two runs on the board in the game's opening half-inning.

The Miners pressed their advantage further in the top of the third inning. A leadoff HBP followed by a single and a longball to left center made it 5-0 Miners midway through three.

The newly named Conference Player of the Year, Luke Napleton, answered with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the third frame. Not to be outdone, Lance Logsdon demolished one to deep center in the next at-bat for back-to-back solo jacks, pulling QU within three at 5-2.

Joe Huffman led off the bottom of the fourth with a walk after a scoreless frame from Walker in the top half. Ben Dahlof advanced the runner and reached safely on a bunt single to put two men on. Brock Boynton laid down a second bunt single, this one drawing an error from the first basemen to plate both runs and advance him to second. Dustin Dupont laid down a third-consecutive bunt to move Boynton to third with one down. Logsdon delivered the equalizing hit with a double down the left field line to tie the game 5-5 after four innings.

A double and an error on the infield got a run back for the Miners in the top of the fifth to reclaim the advantage 6-5.

With two men retired in Hawk half of the fifth, Huffman drew a second walk to extend the inning. Dahlof laced a double into the gap in left center in the next AB, bringing Huffman around from first to tie it back up at 6-6 through five.

QU struck again in the bottom of the seventh. Zach Parks worked a one-out walk to put a man on for a Huffman single in the next at-bat. With runners at the corners and one retired, Dahlof beat out a RBI fielders choice to take their first lead of the game 7-6 after seven innings.

Three straight one-out walks loaded the bases and prompted a pitching change for Quincy. Cruz Meier came in and hit the first runner he faced before getting the next hitter to foul out. Tied at 7-7 with two down, a catcher's interference call brought in the go-ahead run for S&T, giving them a late 8-7 advantage after the top of the eight.

A scoreless effort from Meier in the top of the ninth brought the top-seeded Hawks down to their final three outs of the contest. After a leadoff strikeout, Huffman walked, again, to put the tying run on base. Dahlof also worked a walk to advance the runner into scoring position and put two men on. Boynton smacked a ball that got through the left side in the next AB, plating Huffman to tie the game 8-8. Dupont walked to load the bases and Napleton followed it up with another walk to give the Hawks a 9-8 walk-off win.

With the win today, the #1 Hawks move on to play #5 University of Indianapolis in the winner's bracket nightcap tomorrow evening. First pitch is slated for 7:30 p.m at Mtn Dew Park in Marion, Ill. 

Stat Leaders:
Lance Logsdon: 3-4, Run, 2 RBIs, HR, Walk
Brock Boynton: 3-4, Run, RBI, Walk
Luke Napleton: 3-5, Run, 2 RBIs, HR, Walk
Ben Dahlof: 2-4, 2 Runs, 2 RBIs, Walk
Joe Huffman: 2-3, 3 Runs, 3 Walks