MARION, Ill. – The Hawks dropped an elimination game after a battle with the Miners of Missouri S&T Friday afternoon (May 9). Both teams were fighting to continue their season, but the Miners came out on top, defeating Quincy 7-6. 

The Miners jumped on the QU starter Kade Ruffner in the first inning, scoring the first run of the game just three batters into the game with an RBI single to center. In the top of the third, S&T extended the lead to two runs courtesy of an RBI groundout to shortstop. 

After the Hawks were scoreless for the first three frames, they finally got their first run of the day with an RBI single that was poked down the right-field line from JD Ortiz to bring in Joe Huffman from first base, who was running on the pitch.

The two runs from the Miners in the first three innings were the only two runs Ruffner surrendered. Kade worked through six innings on 101 pitches and gave up six hits, walked two, and punched out seven.

In the home half of the sixth, Jake Vitale sparked the Hawk offense with a solo shot to deep right-center into the Quincy bullpen to tie the ballgame at two apiece. The Miners had a quick answer in the top of the seventh, loading the bases after Tim Reinholz walked two and hit one. With the infield playing back, a run scored on a groundout to Ortiz at second base. The following batter, the Miners played small ball with a safety squeeze to take a 4-2 lead heading into the home half.

The teams continued to trade punches, and the Hawks struck in the seventh with four runs of their own. Isaiah Fudge and Jack Haggard began the offense with back-to-back singles. A double steal set up second and third and one out, as David Broughton snuck a single through the 5-6 hole to bring in the first run. Matt Mateo was the next batter, and he tied the game at four with a groundout to the shortstop. With two outs in the inning, doubles from Harry Fandre and Huffman each drove in a run to give Quincy its first lead of the game.

When the Hawks offense got going, the Miners had an answer, and once again, the lead changed in the top of the eighth in favor of S&T. With runners at first and second and one out, a blooper down the left field line that rolled to the wall after Mateo missed on the diving effort, drove in two runs and put the go-ahead run on third base. One batter later, S&T regained the lead 7-6 with a sacrifice fly to center field.  Quincy put runners on second and third in the home half, but a strikeout ended the eighth.

Tom Conzemius put the Miners down 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth, setting up Quincy with the heart of the order, trailing by one. Huffman singled with two outs to bring the go-ahead run to the plate, but a strikeout put a close on the Hawks GLVC Tournament run.