Hawks continue to batter opposing pitching, slug six home runs in series finale against Panthers

QUINCY — The DJ Khaled collaboration “All I Do Is Win” was released in 2010 and remains a ballpark staple more than a decade later.

Still, it may be time for some fresh lyrics.

The Quincy University baseball team seems to be providing them.

It goes a little like, “All we do is crush, crush, crush, no matter what, what, what.”

Right now, nothing is stopping the Hawks’ offense. Sunday, the eighth-ranked team in the NCBWA Division II national poll piled up 16 hits with eight extra-base hits in completing a Great Lakes Valley Conference sweep of Drury with the 16-6 victory at QU Stadium.

The Hawks (36-9, 23-5 GLVC) collected 12 or more hits in each of the four games against the Panthers and have 10 or more hits 29 times this season. More impressive are the power numbers. Quincy hit six home runs Sunday, increasing its single-season school record to 107 dingers.

The Hawks have hit four or more home runs 11 times this season and lead all NCAA Division II programs with 2.37 home runs per game. They hit 15 homers in the four games against Drury, the most in a four-game series this season.

Sunday’s pounding of the Drury pitching staff wasn’t unexpected.

The Hawks hit three home runs in each of the first three games of the series, and the top of the order proved to be locked in. After going 28 for 56 with 28 RBIs, seven doubles and five home runs in the first three games, the first five batters combined to go 11 of 21 with 11 RBIs, one double and four home runs Sunday.

It started with Gino D’Alessio leading off the bottom of the first inning with a home run to right field, Dustin Dupont singling and Luke Napleton rocketing a two-run home run to left field. Zach Parks’ run-scoring sacrifice grounder capped the four-run frame.

Quincy scored in six of the eight innings and left eight runners on base despite scoring 16 runs. Every starter had at least one hit and seven of the nine guys in the lineup drove in at least one run.

D’Alessio went 4 for 4 with two walks, six runs scored, two home runs and a double as he finished the four-game series 11 for 15 with 14 runs scored, seven RBIs, four home runs and two doubles. Napleton went 2 for 5 with two runs scored, four RBIs and two home runs.

It took the pressure off right-hander Jay Hammel, making the final regular-season home start of his career. He allowed three earned runs and nine hits over five innings with three strikeouts and one walk to improve to 4-2 this season and 15-10 in his career.

Quincy will wrap up the regular season next weekend with a four-game series at Rockhurst before heading to the GLVC Tournament, which is being played May 11-14 at Mountain Dew Park in Marion, Ill.