Wosman’s walk-off single allows Hawks to rebound and split GLVC doubleheader

QUINCY — What’s the best way to respond to a pummeling?

Come back and deliver the final blow.

The Quincy University baseball team is pretty good at finishing with a punch.

After allowing the most runs in a Great Lakes Valley Conference game in at least two decades in a 20-10 loss, the Hawks salvaged a doubleheader split with Missouri S&T on Friday at QU Stadium as Nolan Wosman singled through the left side of the infield to plate pinch-runner Seth West for a 5-4 walk-off victory.

It is the Hawks’ second walk-off victory of the season and fourth time they’ve taken the lead in their final at-bat, but this one was needed more than any other.

Carrying a seven-game win streak into GLVC play and having climbed as high as No. 10 in one of the national polls, Quincy saw all momentum fade when Missouri S&T tagged preseason All-American right-hander Spencer Walker for nine runs in the top of the first inning. He was pulled without recording an out, having allowed seven hits and one walk.

As bleak as it looked at that moment, the Hawks (12-4, 1-1 GLVC) looked like they’d rally. Gino D’Allesio and Luke Napleton led off the bottom of the first inning with back-to-back home runs. They could have chiseled away at the deficit even more, but they stranded two runners in scoring position in the first.

The Miners failed to score in the second and third innings against reliever Jay Hammel, but they tagged the right-hander for three runs in the fourth and then scored seven runs in two-thirds of an inning against reliever Joe Byers.

Overall, Missouri S&T had 16 hits, five doubles and two home runs. Third baseman Cole Hampton went 4 for 5 with two doubles, a grand slam and eight RBIs.

Flushing that effort allowed Quincy to get right back in the win column.

The teams traded runs in the first inning and each scored twice in the third before the Hawks took a 4-3 lead in the fourth on third baseman Joe Huffman’s home run to right field. The Miners tied the game in the top of the seventh when an outfield error allowed a runner to score.

The Hawks came right back. Dustin Dupont led off with a single and Napleton walked, moving West, who was pinch-running for Dupont, into scoring position. After Lance Logsdon flied out to left field, Wosman singled to plate West with the winning run.

Dupont, Wosman and Austin Simpson each had two hits for the Hawks. Junior left-hander Griffin Kirn struck out eight and allowed three runs and five hits over five innings, while Chase Gockel earned the victory in relief with one strikeout and two hits allowed in two innings of work.

The Hawks and Miners will complete their GLVC series with a doubleheader beginning at noon Sunday.