QUINCY, Ill. – Missouri S&T got out to a fast start Sunday night at Quincy University, scoring eight times in the first three innings and rolling to a 14-1 win over the Hawks in their Great Lakes Valley Conference opener.

 

The Miners wasted little time jumping on Quincy starter Brian Thompson. With one out, Brandon Cogan (Missouri City, Texas/Hightower) doubled and moved to third on a hit by Eaf Redden (Gunter, Texas/Gunter). Cody Bass (Chattanooga, Okla./Chattanooga) delivered a two-run single with two outs to give the Miners a 2-0 lead.

 

After the Hawks scored in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Adam Cunningham, the Miners went back to work in the second. S&T loaded the bases with two outs and got an RBI hit off the bat of Redden and a two-run double from Thomas McCormick (Kingwood, Texas/Kingwood) to extend their lead.

 

S&T knocked Thompson out of the game in the third after the first two hitters reached base, then three runs crossed the plate after the pitching change. The first scored on a successful squeeze bunt by Louie Joseph (Bloomington, Ill./Central Catholic), then the Miners got an RBI hit from Andrew Vance (Stilwell, Kan./Blue Valley ) and a sacrifice fly by Cogan to take an 8-1 lead.

 

The Miners extended that lead with three more runs in the sixth, as McCormick and Bass drove in their third runs of the game with run-scoring hits and the third run of the inning scoring on a wild pitch. S&T scored three more in the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Redden and a two-run single off the bat of Bass.

 

The beneficiary of the offensive outburst was Andrew Page (Stoney Creek, Ont./Cardinal Newman), who scattered eight hits and struck out six over the first six innings to pick up his third straight victory. The only run Page allowed in the contest was unearned.

 

Cogan had five hits in the game, tying a school record as he became the fifth player in Miner history with five in a contest, and drove in a run with the sacrifice fly in his other plate appearance. 

 

Bass added three hits and a season-best five runs batted in, while five other players had two hits apiece as S&T had a season-high 20 hits in the opener.

 

The Miners (8-18, 1-0 GLVC West) and Hawks (12-12, 2-3 GLVC West) will play a doubleheader Monday at noon.  The fourth game of the series will be played at a later date, if necessary if one of the teams is in a position to earn a spot in the GLVC Tournament.