LIBERTY, Mo. – The Quincy University softball team was swept by William Jewell on Sunday afternoon, falling 6-3 in game one before dropping game two 5-2. The Hawks held a lead in game two but were unable to hold on, as defensive miscues and late-inning rallies by the Cardinals proved costly.
Game 1: William Jewell 6, Quincy 3
William Jewell struck first in the second inning, using a solo home run, an RBI triple, and an RBI single to take a 3-0 lead. Quincy was held scoreless through the first three innings, recording just two hits during that stretch.
The Hawks responded in the fourth inning with their biggest rally of the game.
Makala Koozer walked to begin the inning before
Casey Fronheiser laid down a bunt single. After
Haleigh Winter drew a walk to load the bases,
Kaidence Dumas ripped a triple down the right field line, bringing home all three runners to tie the game at 3-3. The three RBIs gave Dumas a team-high 28 on the season.
William Jewell answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning, taking advantage of an error to regain a 4-3 lead. The Cardinals added two more unearned runs in the sixth inning after a pair of Quincy errors extended the inning and allowed runners to score, making it 6-3.
Quincy threatened in the fifth inning when Koozer walked and Fronheiser singled to put two runners on, but the Hawks were unable to capitalize. William Jewell's bullpen retired the final seven Quincy hitters to close out the win.
Fronheiser finished with two hits for her seventh multi-hit game of the season. Dumas recorded Quincy's only extra-base hit with her three-run triple, while
Kenzie Moss added the Hawks' other hit.
In the circle,
Alexus Freeman went the distance, allowing six runs, only three earned, on nine hits while striking out six.
Game 2: William Jewell 5, Quincy 2
The Hawks jumped out to an early 2-0 advantage in the second inning. Moss,
Kinsey Biggerstaff, and
Lindsey Fischer were all hit by pitches to load the bases before Koozer singled through the left side to drive in the first run. Later in the inning, Fronheiser lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Biggerstaff and giving Quincy the two-run lead.
William Jewell cut into the deficit in the third inning with a solo home run, but
Haley Martin settled in from there. Martin retired nine of the next 10 hitters she faced and carried the 2-1 lead into the sixth inning.
The Cardinals opened the bottom of the sixth with a triple and tied the game on a sacrifice fly. An error allowed another runner to reach, and after a single, stolen base, and a hit batter loaded the bases, a three-run double broke the game open and gave William Jewell a 5-2 lead. All three runs scored after the error were unearned.
Quincy was unable to mount a rally in the seventh inning as the Cardinals closed out the win. The Hawks finished with just three hits in the game, with Koozer recording two of them for her 14th multi-hit game of the season. She is now batting .370 on the year. Fronheiser added the other hit and drove in a run with her sacrifice fly.
Martin was strong in the circle despite taking the loss, allowing five runs, only two earned, on six hits while striking out six over six innings.
The Hawks will be back in action on Saturday, April 4th, for a doubleheader against Lewis beginning at 12:00 PM from the Mart Heinen Softball Complex.
