Walk-off victory allows Blue Devils to earn split in season-opening event at GCS Ballpark

March 17, 2022 | By Muddy River Sports

Quincy High School's Evan Sohn slides safely into second base with a stolen base during Wednesday's game against Belleville West at GCS Ballpark in Sauget, Ill. Photo courtesy Paul Baillaergon, Archview Photo

SAUGET, Ill. — It took a few innings to get the offense rolling, but once that happened, the Quincy High School baseball team was able to come away with a season-opening split Wednesday afternoon.

Three Collinsville pitchers limited the Blue Devils to three hits in a 5-0 loss in the first game of the Kickoff Classic at GCS Ballpark, the home of the Frontier League’s Gateway Grizzlies.

Quincy rebounded to beat Belleville West 10-9 in the nightcap, scoring the winning run in the bottom of the seventh when Grayson Cook was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

In the opener against the Kahoks, the Blue Devils had the chance to cut into a 4-0 deficit in the top of the fifth when Raulin Zanger led off with a single and Sam Skirvin walked. A groundout moved both runners into scoring position with two outs, but they were stranded there.

Noah Harbin had two of Quincy’s three hits, while Cook suffered the loss, allowing five runs and five hits over four innings with six strikeouts and no walks. The Blue Devils made three errors behind him.

Against Belleville West, Quincy trailed 3-1 going to the bottom of the third before a four-run outburst gave it the lead. After Harbin led off with a triple, Cook plated him with a single. An error, a passed ball and a groundout plated three more runs.

After allowing the Maroons to tie the game in the top of the sixth, the Blue Devils scored three times in the bottom of the frame to go up 9-6. Luke Mettemeyer’s two-run double with the bases loaded gave Quincy the lead and Cook scored on a wild pitch for a little added breathing room.

Belleville West manufactured three runs in the top of the seventh with a pair of walks, a hit batter, an error and a wild pitch. The Maroons had only one hit in the inning.

Quincy answered as Logan Eaton led off the bottom of the seventh with a double, and one out later, Connor Schwindeler and Harbin drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. On the second pitch of the next at-bat, Cook was hit by a pitch to force in the winning run.

Cook and Eaton each had two hits, and Joe Schroeder drove in two runs.

QHS will face Quincy Notre Dame at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the opening game of the QND Slam at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield.