Quincy, Ill. - The Quincy University softball team hosted the Southwest Baptist University Bearcats for a conference doubleheader on Sunday (April 7). The Bearcats found success through hits in both games, beating the Hawks 8-3 and 15-9.
Game One
The Bearcats got on early with a two-run single, but the Hawks kept them to their two runs with a stellar
Ryleigh Jones diving play and pick-off to end the inning.
The Hawks had the bats going for the first half of the game, but the Bearcats played defense well. Southwest Baptist loaded the scoreboard in the fourth and seventh innings, putting the Hawks under eight runs before their final at-bat.
Allyson Maynard started things off for the Hawks with a hard-hit double to center. The Hawks saw great success from a group of pinch hitters--
Kenzie Moss,
Megan McPherson, and
Madison Peck--who combined with Maynard and
Avery Funk for four hits and three runs.
Abbey Hultz started the game in the circle for the Hawks, striking out one in four innings.
Eileen McGinnis retired her for the remainder of the game.
Game Two
The first part of game two was all Bearcats, scoring six runs on two homeruns, a double, and two singles.
The Hawks got busy in the third inning on a Maynard single that forced the infield to move the ball enough to bring Allyson Kaiser home. With the bases loaded after
Jessie Martin walked, freshman
Megan McPherson hit a grand slam over left center. Kaiser got herself an RBI on a single up the middle, bringing
Avery Funk home.
The Hawks added two more on an
Avery Funk single in the right center pocket, bringing
Mykah Hurley and Martin home.
The Bearcats got back with nine runs between the fifth and sixth innings. The Hawks added one more tally to the scoreboard on a bases loaded walk.
KJ Weller got the nod for game two in the circle, pitching the first five innings with five strikeouts. McGinnis retired her halfway through the sixth.
The Hawks travel to Fayette, Iowa to make up the postponed Upper Iowa doubleheader on Tuesday, April 9th.
