Walker’s ability to stay down in zone enables Hawks to take first game from Prairie Stars

QUINCY — Spencer Walker has found a neighborhood where he’d like to stay.

That’s down in the zone.

The Quincy University senior right-hander thrived there for a majority of Friday afternoon’s series-opening game against No. 13 Illinois-Springfield, enticing the Prairie Stars into 12 groundouts over 8 ⅓ innings in a 7-5 victory at QU Stadium.

“Especially knowing my infielders have my back every step of the way, I knew I could pitch to contact,” Walker said. “Whenever I got a ground ball, there was no doubt in my mind we would make the play. So whenever I could get those ground balls, I went after it.”

It gave the Hawks the upperhand heading into the remainder of the first Great Lakes Valley Conference series of the season.

Left-hander Tyler Carpenter and right-hander Alex Pribyl are expected to start Games 2 and 3 for the Hawks (10-9, 1-0 GLVC) on Saturday afternoon. The doubleheader between the top two teams in the GLVC Blue Division is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

Coming off a series setback to Davenport last weekend at home in which the Hawks blew late-inning leads in two of three losses, taking the first game against UIS was monumental.

“That’s a big win for us,” junior first baseman Lance Logsdon said. “I’d say this is a point in our season where this series is either going to define us or break us. We were 9-9 coming in and that doesn’t get a regional bid. So it’s time to go. This is a series for us to really start going, and it’ll be huge coming out (Saturday) and being ready.”

Another energetic start would help.

After Walker stranded a runner at second base and held the Prairie Stars (17-4, 0-1 GLVC) scoreless in the top of the first, Logsdon led off the bottom of the frame by laser-beaming the first pitch from UIS ace Colton Hale deep over the right-field wall for a 1-0 advantage.

“As soon as we got that first run, in my head I was like, ‘This is our game, this is our game,’” Walker said. “I put up a zero and we got one run, so in my head I’m saying, ‘That’s all we need. I’ll take more, but that’s all we need.’ I was confident I was going to go out there and keep pitching like I did.”

It was pivotal for Walker to keep the ball down and limit damage, especially with gusting winds blowing out to the right field corner.

He allowed a pair of solo home runs in the top of the second — both blew out to right field — but he got around a leadoff single and a one-out walk in the third with a strikeout and a groundout to put a zero on the scoreboard. 

“They scrambled a couple of solo shots, but he got back up there and kept pitching,” QU coach Matt Schissel said. “He didn’t let that affect him, and he did a good job.”

The Hawks responded by giving him the lead for good in the bottom of the frame.

Logsdon led off with another home run to right field, and three batters later, Dayson Croes drove in Gino D’Alessio with a sacrifice fly. Sophomore catcher Luke Napleton followed with a two-run home through the teeth of the wind to left field for a 5-2 lead.

It knocked Hale out of the game after just three innings, leading to his first loss.

“The main thing is Spencer put up zeroes when he needed to,” Logsdon said. “Those momentum switchers are huge, and he just shut them down. That made a huge difference in this game.”

Keeping the ball down in the zone was the key to everything.

“We had a big meeting this week, because the past week wasn’t our best, and we had a huge talk about living down in the zone,” Walker said. “I was really proud of myself for hitting those spots down in the zone.”

Walker (4-0) struck out four and allowed three runs and 12 hits before being pulled with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the ninth with the Hawks clinging to a 7-3 lead. Sophomore right-hander Cruz Meier worked out of the jam, getting a groundout and a strikeout to end the game and earn his first career save.

Napleton finished 2 for 4 with two home runs, Logsdon went 2 for 5 and Brock Boynton went 2 for 4. Joe Roscetti added a solo home run in the eighth as the Hawks finished with nine hits against three Prairie Stars pitchers.

“Last weekend left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth,” Schissel said. “Today kind of changed the mindsets for our guys and hopefully that stays that way tomorrow.”