GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Quincy baseball battled throughout Sunday's series finale, erasing an early deficit and reclaiming the lead late, but No. 12 Colorado Mesa used a decisive eighth inning to secure a 12–9 victory and complete the four-game sweep at The Diamond.

Colorado Mesa struck first with two runs in the opening inning and added two more in the third to build a 4–0 lead.

The Hawks answered in the fifth inning with a momentum-shifting rally. Joe Huffman drove in Quincy's first run before Byron Blaise crushed a three-run home run to left-center, tying the game at 4–4.

Colorado Mesa regained the lead in the sixth, but Quincy responded again in the seventh when Huffman doubled, and Blaise delivered an RBI single to even the score at 5–5.

The back-and-forth battle continued into the eighth. Blaise struck again with his second three-run homer of the game, the first multi-home run performance of his collegiate career, putting the Hawks ahead 8–7 and completing a seven-RBI performance.

The Mavericks answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning, capitalizing on timely hits and baserunners to plate five runs and retake control. Quincy added a run in the ninth, but the comeback bid fell short.

Blaise powered the Quincy offense with a remarkable 4-for-5 performance, two home runs, and seven RBIs. Huffman added three hits and scored three times, while Ben Dahlof reached base multiple times and scored twice. The Hawks totaled 13 hits in the contest.

Ryan Sell worked four innings in the start, while Riley Hall provided effective middle relief. Matt Miscik was charged with the loss.

Quincy moves to 4-4 on the season following the challenging road series against a nationally ranked opponent.

The Hawks return home this weekend to open their home schedule with a four-game series against Roosevelt. First pitch for Friday's opener is scheduled for 3 PM.