QUINCY, Ill. - Due to an impromptu rainstorm on Thursday afternoon, the Hawks opening game of their four-game weekend set to close out the regular season against the Prairie Stars of Illinois-Springfield was postponed in the fifth inning in favor of a rarely seen triple-header on Friday. The Hawks took advantage of the change of circumstance, ripping 27 hits for 23 runs and three huge wins amidst a tight playoff race. 

Game One

UIS tallied the first run of the ballgame in the top of the third on a lead-off home run to right field after a pair of scoreless innings for both sides that featured four punchouts for QU starter, Griffin Kirn. 

Quincy got the run back along with another in the bottom half of the frame, using a double from Jake Vitale to put a runner on for a two-out, two-run blast off the bat of Dustin Dupont three hitters later to put his side ahead 2-1 after three. 

The Prairie Stars answered with a run of their own to even the score in the fourth on a pair of free passes tailed by a pair of ground outs to bring around the runner from second and make it 2-2. 

A clean top of the fifth from Kirn brought about the postponement of the contest at the midway point of the frame. Picking up the bottom of the fifth nearly 20 hours later, QU took advantage of back-to-back walks to set up a three-run round-tripper to right field from Joe Huffman to build a 5-2 advantage. 

Illinois-Springfield picked up a run in the sixth and seventh inning while the Hawks added a run in the sixth as well on a run-scoring single from David Broughton to bring the score to 6-4 after seven. 

Another run in the bottom of the eighth on a singles from Brock Boynton, Broughton and a RBI base hit from Dupont brought home the final run of the game as Ben Draeger laid down the side in order in the ninth to collect his third save the year and cap a 7-4 win. 

Game Two

Quincy got on the board in the bottom half of the first to open the scoring following a scoreless frame from its starter, Kobe Essien. An HBP and walk put two men on for a one-out double from Austin Simpson to plate a run before an RBI ground out from JD Ortiz and a run-scoring single from Vitale concluded the inning with a 3-0 lead for QU. 

UIS tagged Essien for his only surrendered run of the ballgame in the second inning on a lead-off extra-base hit followed up by a single as the senior right-hander delivered five inning of four-hit, one-run ball en route to earning the win. 

The Hawks added a pair of runs in the fourth using a one-out walk and a single to put two men on for a two-run single through the right side of the infield from Broughton to press the advantage to 5-1. 

QU pushed across another run in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI single from Adam Lewis before surrendering the final score of the ballgame in the top of seventh on a fielders choice as Roman Harrison went on to close out his eighth save of the 2024 campaign in a 6-2 Hawks winner. 

Game Three

Quincy kicked off game three in similar fashion to game two, following up a scoreless top half of the first with three runs. A single and walk set up a run-scoring single from Huffman to plate the first run before Simpson followed up with a double to bring home another. Three hitters late, an RBI fielders choice off the bat of Vitale made it 3-0. 

Another clean inning in the second frame from Tom Conzemius, the Quincy starter, brought the Hawks to the plate to tack on four more runs. A couple of two-out walks along with a single from Simpson scored the first run before Ortiz left the yard in the next at-bat, driving in three and blowing the game open 7-0 after two. 

QU got another pair of runs in the third inning, using a pair of free passes to set up an RBI double from Broughton and a sac fly to center from Dupont to make it 9-0 before UIS put up a five-spot in the next half inning, scoring all of its runs in the ballgame in a single inning to cut the Quincy edge to 9-5. 

The Hawks scored the final run of the contest in the bottom of the fifth on a single from Brock Boynton to press the lead to 10-5 where it would stay for the remainder of the game as Quincy went on to take the ballgame by the same score. 

Next Up

Quincy looks forward to it's final regular season contest of the 2024 campaign tomorrow on Senior Day as the Hawks will attempt to complete the sweep of the four-game set with the Prarie Stars. First pitch of the regular season finale is scheduled for 11:00 AM.