Late-inning rallies help Hawks complete four-game sweep of Timberwolves

QUINCY — Never out of the fight.

That needs to become the Quincy University baseball team’s new catchphrase.

The Hawks completed a four-game sweep of Northwood — a perennial Midwest Region foe — with a series of late-inning rallies, scoring the go-ahead run in the seventh inning or later in three of the four games played at QU Stadium.

Saturday, the Hawks won the series opener 7-4 by scoring twice in the seventh and four times in the eighth, capped by Gino D’Alessio’s two-run home run to right-center field. In the second game, they scored twice in the bottom of the sixth and went to their final at-bat in the seventh trailing 8-5.

Then came a two-out rally.

With a runner on first, Lance Logsdon singled through the right side with D’Alessio, who led off by reaching on an error, advancing to third. Nolan Wosman drove in D’Alessio with a double to right-center field, moving Logsdon to third.

Austin Simpson followed with a walk-off home run to right field for a 9-8 victory and the doubleheader sweep.

Sunday, a late rally wasn’t needed in the first of two games.

The Hawks scored seven times in the bottom of the first inning, getting five run-scoring singles, including a two-run knock to center field by D’Alessio to cap the inning. The Timberwolves scored three times in the seventh inning, but the bullpen survived for a 10-8 victory.

To complete the sweep, the Hawks were forced to rally again. Trailing 6-5 entering the seventh, they tied the game on Wosman’s RBI single and took the lead for good as Simpson belted a two-run home run to left field.

In the ninth, the Timberwolves scored once and had the tying run on second base before Hawks reliever Brett Panick struck out Austin Jarboe to end the game with an 8-7 victory.

Simpson went 5 for 7 with three runs scored and four RBIs in Sunday’s doubleheader, while D’Alessio went 4 for 7 with four runs scored and five RBIs. Cruz Meier earned the victory in the first game with 2.2 innings out of the bullpen, and Roman Harrison earned his first victory with three innings of relief in the nightcap.

Quincy (8-3) will continue its 11-game homestand at noon Friday with a doubleheader against Augustana (S.D.).