Big innings cost Hawks in sweep

The Quincy University baseball team was done in by a pair of big innings in their road double header sweep at the hands of Drury University. Quincy dropped game one 19-9 and fell in game two 8-2.

The Hawks held a 9-2 lead entering the bottom of the eighth in game one when Drury exploded for 17 runs in the frame to take a commanding 19-9 lead. The Hawks bats were active early, pounding out 13 hits, including five home runs to build up their lead. Justin Ritchhart started the game with a solo home run and Wade Koester added a two run shot in the fourth that made the score 4-0 in favor of Quincy. Justin Dunning ripped a solo shot in the seventh and Brett Zurliene and Greg Van Leer hit back to back home runs in the same inning as Quincy extended their lead to 8-1. The Hawks final run of the game came in the eighth when Ritchhart doubled home Dillon York.

However that would be the end of the fun for Quincy as Drury scored 17 runs in the bottom of the eighth. The Panthers scored 17 runs on 14 hits and just one error in the inning as the first 13 Panther batters in the inning all reached base. Dunning led the Quincy attack at the plate with three hits while Ritchhart, Van Leer, Koester and York each added two hits. Travis Ruppel takes the loss lasting just 1/3 of an inning and allowing four runs on three hits.

Drury scored first in game two, with a run in the bottom of the first, but Quincy grabbed the lead with a two run third inning. Koester started the inning with a single and Brandon England and Brad Salsman followed with back to back singles of their own. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Matt Scoggins gave Quincy a 2-1 lead. Drury grabbed the lead back in the fourth with two runs and again benefited from a big inning opening the game up with five runs in the sixth inning to take an 8-2 lead.

Drury out hit Quincy 11-7 in game two as Zurliene was the only Hawk to record more than one hit, going 2-for-3. Mike Mueller suffered the loss for Quincy going 3 1/3 innings and allowing two earned runs on four hits while striking out two.

Quincy falls to 17-14 overall and 8-9 in the GLVC. They conclude their weekend series against Drury with another double header on Sunday in Springfield, Mo.

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