Harbin, Cook shut down Golden Warriors as Blue Devils earn WB6 doubleheader sweep

STERLING, Ill. — A pair of shutdown pitching performances kept the Quincy High School baseball team in the thick of the Western Big 6 Conference race.

Noah Harbin authored a one-hit shutout as the Blue Devils opened Friday’s WB6 doubleheader with an 11-0 victory over Sterling. Grayson Cook followed with a three-hitter as the Blue Devils completed the sweep with a 12-2 victory.

Quincy (10-8)  improved to 5-3 in the WB6 and sits just one game behind Moline in the loss column.

In the opener, Harbin struck out nine, walked one and didn’t allow a hit until a one-out single in the sixth inning. He retired 16 batters in a row after opening the game with a leadoff walk. He struck out four of the final five batters he faced.

Cook gave Harbin all the run support he needed by belting a three-run home run in the first inning. Kenny Taylor had an RBI single in the second, with Connor Schwindeler belting a run-scoring double right behind him. Quincy scored three times in the third on an error, a fielder’s choice and a wild pitch.

A sacrifice fly and a two-run error allowed the Blue Devils to end the game in the sixth.

Taylor had two of Quincy’s seven hits and scored three runs.

In the nightcap, Cook struck out seven and walked one, while allowing one earned run and three hits. Back-to-back doubles leading off the fourth inning got Sterling on the board, but the Golden Warriors trailed 8-0 prior to that.

The Blue Devils scored two runs in each of the first four innings and capped the victory with a four-run fifth inning.

Harbin delivered a two-run double in the first inning, while an error and a sacrifice fly plated two runs in the second. A pair of groundouts led to two runs in the third, and Harbin had a two-run single in the fourth inning. Cook added a two-run single in the fifth inning.

Cook finished 3 for 4 with two runs scored and two RBIs, while Harbin was 2 for 2 with a walk and four RBIs.