LEBANON, Ill. - The Hawks split a pair of contests with the Bearcats of McKendree on Saturday evening (Apr. 27) for games two and three of the four-game set. Six runs in the first three innings provided MCK with all it needed in a 6-3 victory over QU before Quincy righted the ship in the night cap with an eight run sixth inning to steal game two 8-6.
Game One
The Bearcats got on the board early and often to open the second contest of the series, plating all six runs in the first three innings; starting with two in the first, another in the second and three in the third to jump out ahead 6-0.
QU answered with a run of its own in the top of the fourth, getting a one-out home run off the bat of
Joe Huffman. The Hawks mustered another pair of runs in the top of the last inning, getting a two-out homer from
Jake Vitale to cut the lead to three, but it was too little too late as MCK took the ballgame 6-3.
Game Two
McKendree kicked off the scoring in game two as they did in the first contest of the day, plating a pair of runs on a single and two doubles to lead it 2-0 before picking up another run in the bottom of the third on a home run.
Quincy loaded the bases in the fifth to no avail before finally breaking through in a big way in the sixth frame. Huffman led off with a double tailed by a single from
JD Ortiz to put two men on. A pair of HBP's with the second going for a RBI for Vitale plated the first run.
Charlie Allison ripped a two-run double in the next plate appearance to even the score at 3-3 before
Brock Boynton cleared the bases with a three-run bomb down the right field line to put the Hawks ahead 6-3 with nobody out.
Still not finished,
David Broughton followed up the blast with a bunt single before a pair of outs advanced him to second for a RBI single through the left side from Huffman. A run-scoring base hit from Ortiz in the next AB concluded the scoring and found Quincy leading 8-3.
Down to its final three outs, McKendree got a little something going in the bottom of the seventh, putting up three runs and bringing the winning run to the plate, but ultimately the Hawks got it done down the stretch, taking the night cap 8-6.
Next Up
Quincy looks to win the series tomorrow in the final contest of the four-game GLVC set. First pitch is slated for 1:00 PM.
