Hawks put together ‘Quincy inning’ to send Timberwolves packing in Midwest Regional

CALEDONIA, Mich. — It’s come to be known as the “Quincy inning.”

Friday afternoon, the Quincy University baseball team enjoyed putting up one of those crooked numbers on the scoreboard.

Leading Northwood 1-0 entering the second inning of an NCAA Division II Midwest Regional elimination game at Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex, the Hawks exploded for nine runs as 11 of the first 12 hitters in the inning reached base safely.

It provided more than enough run support for left-handed starter Griffin Kirn and the bullpen as the fourth-seeded Hawks eliminated the fifth-seeded Timberwolves with a 10-4 victory.

“At least point, it’s all about winning,” said junior first baseman Lance Logsdon, who belted a two-run home run in the pivotal inning. “It isn’t about anybody but the team. As long as you get a win and advance to the next day, that’s all that really matters.”

It wasn’t anybody who contributed. It was everybody.

The Hawks collected nine hits in the second inning with three going for extra bases. Nolan Wosman, Zach Parks and Sebastian Martinez each reached base safely twice in the inning, although none of them had two hits.

Wosman led off with a single and drew a walk after Logsdon’s homer. Parks was hit by a pitch in his first at-bat and delivered an RBI double for the final run of the frame. And Martinez had an RBI single and was hit by a pitch.

“I think we were trying to string good at-bats together more than anything,” Logsdon said. “That’s kind of been the theme of everything. Even in that first game, we all took good at-bats. You could see the wheel starting to turn on our offense by having good at-bats.

“And then we put a Quincy inning together.”

That crippled the Timberwolves, who had lost 8-7 to top-seeded Davenport in 11 innings in the day’s first game.

“It definitely took the wind out of their sail early,” Logsdon said. “You get a team down that’s already been kicked a little bit helps a lot. I can definitely tell you that.”

It gives the Hawks a boost going into Saturday’s winner-take-all matchup with Davenport. The two will meet at noon with the winner advancing to next week’s Midwest Super-Regional.

“They don’t ask how. They just ask if you win,” QU coach Matt Schissel said. “So we just have to keep finding ways to win.”

Keeping the offense in rhythm would be a big help.

The Hawks have scored 32 runs in their three regional games, while collecting 44 hits. And they hit for the cycle in that crucial second inning.

Wosman singled, Parks was hit by a pitch and they both advanced on a wild pitch. Martinez and Joe Roscetti followed with back-to-back RBI singles. After Brock Boynton struck out and Luke Napleton walked, Dayson Croes cracked a bases-clearing triple down the right-field line.

Gino D’Alessio then singled, forcing the Timberwolves to go to their bullpen.

Logsdon greeted Northwood reliever Grant Smith with a two-run home run to right field. Wosman walked and Parks doubled to plate the final run of the inning.

“The Quincy innings have been big the last two days, but you expect it every day,” Logsdon said. “We still have to grind at-bats and have good approaches and good at-bats to keep the offense going.”