Springfield, Ill. - The Quincy University softball team secured their first two wins of the season with a sweep over Lake Erie College. The Hawks shut out the Storm in game one, 10-0, and took the edge over the Storm in game two, 3-2, on Friday afternoon (Feb. 28).
Game One
Quincy gave the Storm two quick innings at the helm of
Kaelyn Conger in the circle. Conger struck out five batters in this time, getting the Hawks ready for a six-run inning in the third.
Lindsey Fischer led things off for the Hawks at the top of the third with a single to left. An error on the Storm brought
Isabella Shields on base and moved Fischer to scoring position.
Kinsey Biggerstaff sent a short ball to third base, and on the throw, Fischer went home, notching the Hawks' first run of the day. Back-to-back errors from the left side helped
Alexus Freeman and
Kenzie Moss on base and brought Shields home.
Allyson Maynard and
Mykah Hurley each singled, helping load the bases for a three-run error to end the inning.
Allison Kaiser got to first on another error by the third baseman, and an errant throw brought Maynard, Hurley, and Moss all back home.
The Hawks stayed quiet through the fourth inning and geared up for a ground out RBI for Maynard in the fifth. Quincy scored two more error-ridden runs late in the seventh and rounded out their day on offense with a single in the outfield to take the Storm 10-0 in seven innings.
Conger had a career-best 10 strikeouts in the game and kept the Storm to just three hits in her first win this season.
Game Two
Quincy kept a clean slate in the first half inning and found a way around the bases in the latter half. Freeman took advantage of a catcher's interference and came around on Maynard's single to centerfield. The Storm's pinch hitter put one run on the board early in the second inning to tie things up.
Quincy diffused an error in the third inning with Hurley's popped-up double play to clear the bases. The Hawks added their final two runs in the bottom of the inning with three straight doubles from Biggerstaff, Freeman, and Moss.
A deep single in the sixth inning provided some trouble for the Hawks as the Storm cut their deficit to one run. Quincy took care of business in the final inning, however, striking out two of the final three batters.
Emma Stieferman got the start in game two, striking out seven in seven innings.
Nearly every Hawk notched a hit in the doubleheader and all Hawks in the lineup had a hand in the offensive surge seen in Springfield Friday afternoon. Freeman led the Hawks with four runs while Moss, Kaiser, and Fischer each led the Hawks with two hits.
The Hawks return tomorrow to face the Pride of Purdue Northwest at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.
