QUINCY, Ill. - The Hawks kicked off their return to GLVC play with a bang, putting up 13 runs on as many hits to soundly defeat the Bearcats of Southwest Baptist in game one of their four-game set on Friday (Apr. 19). Dustin Dupont turned in a 3-3 performance at the dish, leaving the yard and driving in four along with six strong innings of one-run ball from Griffin Kirn propelling Quincy to a 13-1 victory in seven innings. 

Neither side entered the scoring column until the QU half of the third as Kirn held SBU to a base hit through the first three frames while racking up six punchouts. 

The Hawks opened their half of the third with seven-straight hitters reaching base safely. David Broughton led off with a single followed by a walk from Austin Simpson to put two men on for a run-scoring double from Dupont.

Joe Huffman wore a pitch in the next at-bat to load the bases for a two-run single from JD Ortiz to make it 3-0. A walk from Charlie Allison reloaded the bases for an RBI single from Cole Erickson to left field before two hitters later a Brock Boynton sac fly plated the final run of the inning to put his side ahead 5-0. 

Another scoreless frame from Kirn in the fourth brought Quincy to the plate to score the rest of its runs in the bottom half of the inning. 

Simpson led off with a walk to put a duck on the pond for a two-run shot to right center off the bat of Dupont, putting his side ahead 7-0. Huffman followed up with a single to center as part of his 3-3 showing at the plate in the game tailed by free passes via walk and HBP to Ortiz and Erickson, respectively, loaded the bases for a Jake Vitale grand slam to make it 11-0. 

Boynton kept the line moving following the blast up with a walk along with a walk for Broughton to put two men on for an RBI single from Simpson that also advanced a runner to third. Dupont drove in another run in his second trip to the plate in the inning lifting a sacrifice fly to center for the Hawks final run of the ballgame. 

Southwest Baptist tallied its only run of the contest on a long ball to right center in the sixth for the lone blemish on what was otherwise another high quality start from Kirn. Alex Pickus came on in relief in the seventh, setting down the side in order with a pair of strikeouts and a ground ball to seal a 13-1 winner for QU. 

Next Up

Quincy plays games two and three of the series against the Bearcats tomorrow (Apr. 20) at QU Stadium. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 12:00 PM.