ST. LOUIS – Maryville University split the first two games of a three-game set with Quincy University on Sunday, dropping the first game of the doubleheader 8-7 followed by a 6-5 victory in game two.
 
Game 1 Recap
The Saints dug themselves an early hole early in the first game after the Hawks put together a five-run top of the second inning on the strength of a two-RBI double from Austin Simpson and a two-run home run from Dayson Croes.

Elias Stevens got one back in the fourth inning with a solo home run to center field, his second of the season. 

Now down 6-1 in the bottom of the fifth, the Saints came storming back with five runs to tie the game. Andy Bunton and Brad Willis reached base to start the inning, followed by a Dominic Connolly RBI single to left field to plate a run. 

With runners still on first and second, designated hitter Joey Polak kept his hands back on a breaking pitch and crushed a three-run home run over the right-center field wall to pull within one run. Later in the inning, Ben Hopkins ripped a two-out triple that eventually led to him scoring on a throwing error from the Hawks' catcher to tie the game. 

Both bullpens were flawless after that until the top of the eighth inning. With runners on first and third, Joe Roscetti brought in two runs with a triple to give the visitors a lead. 
Matt Schuler homered with one out in the bottom half of the eighth to make it an 8-7 ball game, but the Saints eventually dropped game one after failing to score in the ninth. 
 
Game 2 Recap
Polak started game two off with a bang, hitting a deep three-run home run over the 385 sign in centerfield to put his team up 3-0 early. Connolly drove in Nick Hofmann with a double in the bottom half of the second to extend the lead to four, followed in the third inning by a Tyler Ward RBI single.

Starting pitcher Ryan Louck backed his offense's early start by hurling three shutout frames to begin the game. The Hawks, however, got one back in the top of the fourth after a lead-off double set the stage for a sacrifice fly. 

Maryville plated a run in the bottom of the fourth before Quincy began getting serious about a comeback bid in the fifth. Down 6-1 to begin the inning, the visitors got Louck for a pair of runs before the junior from Plainfield, Illinois, stranded the bases loaded.

Now down three runs, the Hawks continued to apply pressure in the sixth. Brock Boynton drove in a run to force another Saints' call to the bullpen. Reliever Ben Prywitch gave up an RBI single against his first batter but struck the next batter out looking with a 6-5 lead still intact.

Quincy posted a scoreless bottom half of the sixth and put the tying run on second in the top of the seventh after a leadoff double. Prywitch was up to the task, however. He got the next batter to fly out to shallow right field and struck out the next two batters swinging to pick up his first save of the season and to give the Saints their fifth win in seven games. 
 
Game 1 
Winning Pitcher: Nolan Roseman (1-1)
Losing Pitcher: Noah Arras (1-2)
Save: Sam Stephens (1)

Game 2 
Winning Pitcher: Ryan Louck (2-2)
Losing Pitcher: Griffin Kirn (2-1)
Save: Ben Prywitch (1)
  
Game 1 Hitting Leaders:
Ben Hopkins, 2-3, 2 2B
Joey Polak: 1-5, HR, 3 RBI
Elias Stevens: 1-5, HR
  
Game 2 Hitting Leaders:
Joey Polak: 2-3, HR, 3 RBI
Dominic Connolly: 3-4, 2 2B, RBI
Ben Hopkins: 1-4, 2B, RBI
  
Records:
Maryville: 8-5
Quincy: 7-6
 
What's Next?
Maryville and Quincy wrap up their three-game series on Monday, March 14 at Weber Baseball Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.