LEBANON, Ill. - The Hawks opened their final GLVC series on the road with a bang, ripping 12 hits for 17 runs in a series opening victory over the Bearcats of McKendree.
Jake Vitale blasted two homers while driving in seven to help propel QU to a 17-7 win.
Quincy got the scoring started early, putting six runs on the board in the top of the first inning. The Hawks took advantage of free passes by capitalizing with timely hits; first putting two men on via HBP and walk for a run scoring single from
Joe Huffman.
Another hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for an RBI walk from
Cole Erickson. Vitale singled down the left field line to bring in another run before
Evan Davis wore a pitch to plate the fourth run of the inning. Two at-bats later,
David Broughton laced a single to left center to score a pair and bring the score to 6-0.
Following a scoreless frame in the bottom of the first from
Griffin Kirn, QU used a pair of one-out walks to set up a two-out three-run bomb from Vitale to left center, pressing the advantage to 9-0 after an inning and a half.
Quincy added a single run in both the third and fourth. A one-out walk from
David Broughton along with a passed ball put a runner in scoring position for an RBI single from
Dustin Dupont in the third before a single, fielders choice and HBP set up a run-scoring single from
Brock Boynton to make it 11-0.
The Bearcats got a run back in the fourth with a lead-off home run to right prompting a four-run response from the Hawks in the top of the fifth.Three-straight extra base hits brought in four runs, starting with an RBI double from
JD Ortiz before Erickson and Vitale hit back-to-back jacks to lead it 15-1.
MCK tallied its second run of the ballgame in the bottom of the fifth, bringing about another Quincy response in the top of the sixth. A one-out single put a duck on the pond for a two-run homer to left center off the bat of Dupont to make it 17-2 and end the scoring for the Hawks.
McKendree plated four runs on a pair of long balls in the sixth to make it 17-6 before pushing across a single run in the bottom of the seventh on a fielders choice to conclude a 17-7 winner for the Hawks in seven innings.
Next Up
Quincy faces McKendree in games two and three of the four-game set tomorrow (Apr. 27). First pitch of game one is scheduled for 12:00 PM.
