Injection of life: Blue Devils build confidence ahead of WB6 showdown by ending Pirates’ seven-game win streak

QUINCY — Rejuvenation became the name of the game.

One team found it, the other now needs it — for decidedly different reasons.

Back-to-back losses to begin the week, including an 11-run setback against Rock Island in Western Big 6 Conference play, made Wednesday’s 8-1 victory over Hannibal crucial for the Quincy High School baseball team ahead of this weekend’s showdown with league-leading Moline.

“Winning and building confidence,” QHS senior center fielder Evan Sohn said of what he liked about the Blue Devils’ effort. “We came out today with new energy. Everyday is a new day. We came out and capitalize on what we needed to, and that helps build confidence knowing we can hold that high energy.”

Meanwhile, coming off a North Central Missouri Conference sweep of Kirksville in which the nightcap went 11 innings and playing for the fourth time in three days, Hannibal looked like a team on its last gasp. The Pirates had won seven games in a row, but the heavy schedule appeared to take a toll.

With three more games to be played this week, including Thursday’s game at district foe Wentzville Holt, a day or two of rest will be welcome.

The Pirates (9-6) didn’t get a baserunner against Blue Devils sophomore right-hander Cameron Lawson until Colten Dryden led off the fifth inning with a walk. One out later, Asbury singled for Hannibal’s first hit and Holliday followed with an RBI single to trim the deficit to 3-1.

Hannibal managed just two baserunners thereafter as Lawson struck out two and walked one over 4 ⅓ innings to earn the victory. Right-hander James Day worked the final 2 ⅔ innings for Quincy, striking out two, walking one and allowing no hits.

“We didn’t make mistakes today,” QHS third baseman Brady Lowe said. “We capitalized on their errors and made the plays they should.” 

The Blue Devils (8-8) grabbed the lead in the second when a hit batter, a walk, a passed ball and a groundout allowed Nate Konrad to score. In the fourth, Quincy tacked on two more as Owen Zanger scored when Sohn was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Gavin Powell scored on a wild pitch.

An RBI groundout and a passed ball resulted in two more runs in the fifth, and the Blue Devils put the game away with three runs in the sixth as Kyle Taylor and Lowe both had RBI singles.

“There have been times this year where we haven’t done a good job of capitalizing on our opportunities,” Lowe said. “We did a good job today.”

Lowe went 3 for 4 with two runs scored as the Blue Devils collected seven hits off three Pirates pitchers. Dryden struck out two, walked five and allowed four hits over five innings in getting saddled with the loss.

“One of the things we struggled with against Pittsfield and somewhat against Rock Island is we’d get hits, get runners in scoring position and we just couldn’t drive them in,” Sohn said. “Today, was a good day because we started doing that.”