Harbin helps Saints take series from Hawks by slamming door in ninth inning

ST. LOUIS — Noah Harbin gave the Maryville baseball team a leg up in the Great Lakes Valley Conference title chase by slamming the door on his hometown team.

The former Quincy High School right-handed pitcher stranded the tying run at first base in the top of the ninth inning Sunday, striking out Quincy University’s Connor Simons and inducing an infield popout from David Broughton to save the Saints’ 8-7 victory at Weber Field.

Maryville took three of the four games in the weekend series with Harbin saving two and working the final inning of another.

A redshirt freshman, Harbin worked 2 2/3 scoreless innings in the series, striking out five and allowing two hits.

In Friday’s series opener, Maryville broke a 3-3 tie by hitting a pair of solo home runs in the bottom of the eighth inning off QU reliever Josh Hempleman. A one-out double by the Hawks’ Michael Alvarez and a walk to Joe Huffman forced Saints coach Pat Evers to turn to Harbin, who had made five previous appearances with a 4.00 ERA.

Harbin struck out Adam Lewis and got Broughton to pop out to end the game.

QU answered with a 9-5 victory in Saturday’s first game as Dustin DuPont went 2 for 3 with a double, a home run and four RBIs. In the nightcap of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Hawks’ Tom Conzemius allowed two runs over five innings, but the bullpen surrendered seven runs in the sixth inning.

Harbin finished off the 9-5 victory, striking out Austin Simpson to open the frame and then working around and a walk and a single by striking out Simons and Huffman.

Sunday, Maryville led 8-3 going to the eighth inning before Quincy rallied for four runs as Broughton roped an RBI double, DuPont delivered an RBI single and Simpson blasted a two-run home run. 

In the ninth, Charlie Allison led off with a double off Harbin, but the pitcher fielded a sacrifice bunt attempt from Huffman and threw out pinch-runner Jake Vitale at third base. Harbin finished the weekend by getting Simons and Broughton out.

DuPont finished the weekend going 7 of 15 with eight runs scored, eight RBIs and two home runs, while Simpson went 4 of 12 with three runs scored, eight RBIs and three home runs.

Quincy (7-12, 4-4 GLVC) will play its first home GLVC series beginning at 2 p.m. Friday against Rockhurst. Maryville (14-6, 7-1 GLVC) travels to Lewis for its next series and sits a game behind Indianapolis in the league standings.