Hawks’ stellar pitching keeps Bulldogs at bay, while offense comes back to life in GLVC sweep

KIRKSVILLE, Mo. — The losing streak is history. So is the offensive slump.

If that continues to be the case, the Quincy University baseball team might be able to fight its way back into NCAA Tournament contention.

The Hawks ended a four-game Great Lakes Valley Conference skid Saturday, receiving stellar pitching performances from Jay Hammel and Griffin Kirn while collecting 29 hits in sweeping a doubleheader from Truman State with 6-1 and 10-0 victories.

In the opener, Hammel allowed one run and six hits while striking out six and walking none over seven innings. He benefited from an offense that scored three runs in the first inning — Quincy had scored just nine runs in the previous 32 innings in GLVC play — as Luke Napleton and Dayson Croes led off with back-to-back singles to kickstart things.

A fielding error allowed the first run to score, then Nolan Wosman delivered an RBI double and Sebastian Martinez drove in the other with a groundout to the right side of the infield.

Croes added a two-run single in the sixth as the Hawks finished the opener with 13 hits.

Croes went 3 for 4, while Wosman and Brock Boynton each had two hits.

In the nightcap, Kirn befuddled the Bulldogs. He scattered six hits — five were singles — and struck out seven with just two walks. The offense did the rest, scoring in six of the seven innings and piling up 16 hits.

Croes went 4 for 5 with a double and three RBIs, while Wosman went 4 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs. Lance Logsdon went 2 for 4.

Quincy (21-18, 11-8 GLVC) will wrap up the four-game series with Truman State at noon Sunday.