Hawks split doubleheader as Hammel dazzles in opener, pitching struggles in nightcap

QUINCY — The fact the Quincy University baseball team landed fifth in the first NCAA Division II Midwest Region rankings didn’t matter much to the Hawks.

If they don’t keep winning, the region rankings won’t matter at all.

Another shutdown pitching performance from right-hander Jay Hammel resulted in a 4-1 victory over Saginaw Valley State in the first game of Saturday’s non-conference doubleheader at QU Stadium, running Quincy’s winning streak to seven consecutive games.

That stretch ended in the nightcap with a 16-10 loss, but the Hawks can win the series Sunday and still carry momentum into the final week of the regular season.

“From a team perspective, every game matters throughout the rest of the year,” Hammel said. “We just have to keep continuing to win and playing our best baseball throughout.”

Hammel was quite good yet again. He allowed one run — a second inning solo home run — while giving up just four hits and striking out seven without a walk in the complete-game victory. It’s his second straight complete, having allowed one run and four hits with six strikeouts last weekend in a 6-1 victory over Truman State that kickstarted the seven-game win streak.

He has a 6-2 record with a 3.53 ERA.

“Giving us a chance today and putting us in a position to win was important,” Hammel said.

It helped to pitch with the lead as the Hawks gave him three runs in the bottom of the first inning.

Luke Napleton walked leading off and Dayson Croes doubled. A wild pitch allowed Napleton to score the first run and Croes to advance to third. After Gino D’Alessio walked, a wild pitch allowed Croes to score and D’Alessio to get into scoring position. Zach Parks’ two-out single plated D’Alessio with the third run.

D’Alessio added an RBI single in the second as the Hawks had just five hits but capitalized on eight walks.

In the nightcap, sophomore left-hander Griffin Kirn never found his rhythm, allowing three runs in the first inning and giving up eight runs and 10 hits before being pulled with one out in the fourth. The four relievers who followed didn’t stem the tide as each was tagged for at least one run and combined to walk six.

“We couldn’t stop the bleeding,” QU coach Matt Schissel said.

The offense tried to make a rally possible. Trailing 8-1 going to the bottom of the fourth, Parks hit a two-run home run and Joe Roscetti blasted a solo shot. In the fifth, Lance Logsdon crushed a two-run home run to center field for his 32nd career home run, which ties Josh Rabe for second all-time. Logsdon is three home runs away from tying Chad Hammons’ career record.

The Hawks finished with 15 hits and eight extra-base hits as Croes and D’Alessio each went 3 for 4, but the inability to get the Cardinals out negated everything.

“Flush it, come back tomorrow and win the series,” Hammel said.