Marion, Ill. - The Quincy University baseball team sent the Cardinals of William Jewell College back to Missouri on Saturday afternoon after a third-straight extra innings win. The Hawks looked to senior
Austin Simpson for a two out, walk-off grand slam to overtake the Cardinals 7-5.
Things were quiet in Marion for the first few innings of Game 11 of the GLVC tournament. The Cardinals got around on fielder's choice, but the Hawks responded with another
Dustin Dupont home run to right field that also brought in
David Broughton.
The birds tangoed in the fourth inning with William Jewell tying the game on a triple in the pocket and the Hawks taking the lead back in the bottom of the inning. Broughton poked one past the third baseman and took two bases. Dupont sent another up the right field line, bringing in the freshman for the lead.
Both sides ran blank for the next three innings. Quincy fell into some trouble in the eighth after retiring starting pitcher
Tom Conzemius. Conzemius struck out two in seven innings but with the help of his defense, kept the Cardinals to just two runs.
Logan Mueller came in for an out, leaving the mound with a runner on third. The runner touched home on a single off
Aaron Smith to tie the game. Smith surrendered another hit to right field before
Ben Draeger came to close the inning.
The Hawks retired William Jewell quickly in the top of the ninth inning in preparation for the top of the lineup due up in the last half inning.
Joe Huffman took a base after getting plunked in the batter's box and moved to the other corner on a Simpson double. The Cardinals decided to add
JD Ortiz to first on an intentional walk and came out of the inning unscathed, striking out the side.
Quincy fell into some trouble in the tenth, giving up a one-run single to William Jewell's advantage. A routine fly ball led to the Cardinals' second run of the inning. An errant throw from Ortiz went out of play sent another runner home.
The Hawks found themselves in a bind down two runs in extra innings.
Brock Boynton and Broughton each got on with singles, and the Cardinals walked Huffman to load the bases up with two outs. Simpson came to the plate with one hit and one walk in four attempts, sending the last pitch of the game to where the grass don't grow for a walk-off grand slam.
Simpson's pump to right center helped keep Quincy's clean record through GLVC tournament play. Draeger earned his second win of the season on two strikeouts through 2.1 innings.
The Hawks have earned another ticket to the conference championship for the third straight year and look to face the winner of the Maryville/Lewis game Saturday evening. First pitch will be at 12:30pm.
