QU baseball team wins GLVC-opening series as Boynton sparks offensive surge

LIBERTY, Mo. — The Quincy University baseball team is back on track.

Sunday’s 16-10 victory over William Jewell at Talley Stadium punctuated a series victory in the first weekend of Great Lakes Valley Conference play, gave the Hawks back-to-back series wins and put the 0-7 start on the season-opening trip to Georgia completely in the rear view.

Better yet, the Hawks put up crooked numbers in four separate innings Sunday and scored in 14 of the 32 innings played over the weekend.

The final barrage came after the Cardinals took a 5-0 lead in the first inning of the finale.

QU left-handed starter Aaron Smith faced just four batters in the bottom of the first, allowing one hit and two walks and hitting a batter. All four came around to score as William Jewell used a single, an infield error and a double to take the lead.

The Hawks responded in the second inning with JD Ortiz leading off with a home run to right field. A pair of singles and a hit batter loaded the bases before David Broughton’s grounder got one run home, and Brock Boynton, Dustin DuPont and Austin Simpson followed with consecutive RBI singles to complete the five-run frame.

After William Jewell regained the lead in the third, Boynton took it back. His three-run home run to right-center field put Quincy ahead 8-7, Simpson blasted a solo home run one out later.

Boynton added an RBI double in the fifth as he finished 3 for 4 with five RBIs. Adam Lewis went 2 for 2 with two solo home runs and four runs scored, while Simpson finished 3 for 5. DuPont and Cole Erickson also homered.

Eli Ecton allowed one run in 2 ⅓ innings of relief to earn the victory, while Roman Harrison closed the door by striking out five over the final 2 ⅓ innings.

The Hawks (6-9, 3-1 GLVC) head to Maryville on Friday for another GLVC series and will play their first home GLVC series against Rockhurst beginning March 22.