Romeoville, Ill. – Lewis University's baseball team dropped the finale of its four-game series at Quincy 6-5 on Sunday afternoon at QU Stadium in Quincy, Ill., and came away with a split in the series. The Flyers drop to 4-4, 2-2 GLVC while the Hawks improve to 5-3, 2-2 GLVC.

"Today was a carbon copy of Friday," Lewis head baseball coach Tim McDonough said. "We dug ourselves an early hole and I loved how we climbed out of it, but it just wasn't enough.

"Overall, I was really happy with our approach all weekend," he said. "This is a gritty group and we always feel like we're in the game."

Quincy jumped on Lewis early scoring three runs on two hits and an error while sending nine batters to the plate in the first.

The Hawks added to their lead in the third as Joe Roscetti doubled to drive in Zach Parks to make it 4-0.

The Flyers cut the lead in half scoring twice in the fifth without the benefit of a hit. With one out, Julian Everett (Frankfort, Ill/Lincoln Way East) walked and advanced to second when Michael O'Brien (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic) reached on an error. Back-to-back balks allowed Everett to score and O'Brien advanced to third. After a walk to Dalton Crowder (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East), Anthony Cavalieri (Western Springs, Ill./Fenwick) reached on a fielder's choice to third which allowed O'Brien to score.

Quincy came back with a run in the seventh on as Michael Nielsen singled up the middle to drive in Jacob Kalusniak to make it 5-2.

Lewis scored two runs on three hits in the eighth to cut the Hawk lead to 5-4 as Everett doubled home Max Warren (Yorkville, Ill./Yorkville) and Joe Preusser (Orland Park, Ill./Brother Rice) and represented the tying run at third with one out but was left stranded to end the inning.

The Hawks added an insurance run in the home half of the eighth as Kalusniak singled to center to score Justin Eads.

With one out in the ninth Jackson Dvorak (New Lenox, Ill./Providence Catholic) doubled down the left field line and scored when Anthony Rios (Lemont, Ill./St. Laurence) reached on an error by the second baseman. Rios would advance to second on the play and represented the tying run but he and Preusser were left stranded as two strikeouts ended the contest.

The Flyers finished with six hits in the contest and were led by Dvorak and Warren with two while Everett drove in two runs.

"Julian's double was huge and provided a huge spark," McDonough said. "Unfortunately, we couldn't cash in on a couple of opportunities we had to drive in the tying and go-ahead runs."

Jonathon Hanscom (Mundelein, Ill./Mundelein) got the start in the finale and took the loss allowing four runs, two earned, on three hits while striking out four and walking four. Matt Piento (Indian Head Park, Ill./Lyons) went 2.1 striking out six of the seven hitters he faced. Matt Verdun (Homer Glen, Ill./St. Rita) pitched the sixth and seventh innings allowing a run and Tyler Talbot (Channahon, Ill./Minooka) pitched the eighth allowing a run.

"Matt (Piento) was unbelievable today and really kept us in the game and gave us a chance to claw back in," McDonough said.

Lewis begins the home portion of its 2021 schedule this coming Friday (March 19) as it hosts Illinois Springfield at 2 p.m. at Brennan Field.