Kirn-el of hope: Left-hander’s bounce-back game moves Hawks to brink of super-regional bid

CALEDONIA, Mich. — Griffin Kirn couldn’t figure out what had gone wrong.

Last weekend against Lewis in the Great Lakes Valley Conference baseball tournament, the Quincy University left-hander retired the first nine batters he faced without incident. Then in the fourth inning, everything unraveled.

He allowed the first six Flyers to collect hits, including four doubles, and was chased before recording an out in the inning.

“All week, I was looking at video to see if I was tipping my pitches because they were hitting everything in that one inning,” Kirn said. “Me and my pitching coach and really long and extensive bullpen session this week and it worked out.”

Backed by a stellar defense, Kirn proved such an inning was just a fluke.

The Quincy Notre Dame graduate allowed just two runs over six innings Friday in an elimination game of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional as a 10-4 victory sent fifth-seeded Northwood home and moved the fourth-seeded Hawks one game away from playing in the super-regional.

“We had a conversation before his start about some of the things we’ve been stressing,” QU coach Matt Schissel said. “Don’t get too high. Don’t get too low. The first couple of innings, he worked out of a few things and was keeping himself in control the whole time.”

Better yet, his quality start ensured the Hawks have a full arsenal of arms in the bullpen for Saturday’s matchup with top-seeded Davenport.

The Hawks (35-23) and the Panthers (36-22) square off at noon at the Farmers Insurance Athletic Complex.

“My message all year has been the same thing,” Schissel said. “It doesn’t matter who lines up across from us. We’re the best team. So show up and play our game. … If we play our game, it’s going to be a tough game for anybody. That’s been the message win or lose.”

The Hawks proved that once again against Northwood.

Kirn retired the side in order in the first inning and got out of the second inning with an inning-ending double play after allowing back-to-back singles.

“I was pretty nervous before the game started because it was an elimination game,” Kirn said. “After the first inning, a big weight came off our shoulders and I was locked in.”

Leading 1-0 at the time, the Hawks parlayed the boost of the double play into a nine-run inning, highlighted by Dayson Croes’ bases-clearing triple and Lance Logsdon’s two-run home run. With a 10-0 lead, Kirn only had to focus on throwing strikes.

“You love it when your team is behind you,” Kirn said. “You can just compete in the zone and not have to be a strikeout pitcher or anything like that. You can just let them put the ball in play and your defense does the rest.”

Kirn allowed single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, but he punctuated both frames with strikeouts. He finished with seven strikeouts against no walks.

“I’m super happy for Griffin right now,” Logsdon said. “From being down in the conference and to come back like that, for a young guy to show that maturity, good for him and he gave us exactly what we needed. … I promise you there is more to come over the next three or four years from him.”

Three relievers finished the game with Cruz Meier and Eli Ecton each throwing a scoreless frame.

It sets up the showdown with Davenport with left-hander Tyler Carpenter getting the start and flame-throwing senior relievers Alex Pribyl and Sam Stephens ready to close things out should the Hawks have a late-inning lead.

“I like having those two at the back end ready to go,” Schissel said.