QUINCY, Ill. –Missouri S&T came to life offensively in the late innings of game one to take an 11-7 decision over eighth-ranked Quincy in the opening game of their Great Lakes Valley Conference weekend series, but the Hawks gained a split of the twinbill with an early outburst in an eventual 17-9 win at QU Stadium.

S&T trailed 3-2 after five innings, but propelled by Nick Ulrich (St. Louis, Mo./Vianney)'s sixth inning grand slam, the Miners scored four in that inning and each of the last three to take the opener over the defending GLVC West Division champions.

The Miners got on the board first in the third after Cameron Burk (Nacogdoches, Texas/Cushing) drew a leadoff walk.  Following a fielder's choice and an opposite field single by Justus Nelson (Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) that sent Tyler Bodenstab (Independence, Mo./Truman) to third, Eli Miller (Shelbyville, Ill./Shelbyville) beat the throw to first on a potential double play ball to score Bodenstab.

S&T added to the lead an inning later as Tyler Johnson (Union, Mo./Union) doubled with one out and scored when Tyler Schutt (Katy, Texas/Cinco Ranch)'s ground ball was mishandled by second baseman Jake Walters.

Quincy took advantage of the windy conditions to score three times in the fifth, beginning when Justin Blechle's blooper to center blew away from the Miner fielders for a double.  Blechle scored after a sacrifice bunt and a ground out, then David Jacob blasted a home run to tie the contest.

Following the home run, Walters was hit by a pitch and came around to score when Ryan Snyder's fly ball to the track in left eluded Miller; the Miners were able to retire Snyder to third to end the inning.

But the Miners answered back in the sixth, as Burk drew a one-out walk and then S&T proceeded to load the bases on back-to-back hits by Bodenstab and Nelson.   QU starter Jake Peterson struck out Miller, but Ulrich got a ball up into the breeze that flew over the fence in right center for a grand slam to put the Miners up 6-3.

Ulrich's grand slam was the first home run in the last eight games for the Miners and first grand slam for S&T since Ulrich launched one on March 16, 2015 against Wisconsin-Parkside.

Quincy got one run back in the bottom of the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Brynn Martinez, but the Miners put three more on the board in the seventh.  After hits by Collin Zurweller (St. Peters, Mo./Fort Zumwalt East) and Johnson to start the inning, a wild pitch scored Johnson with the first run, followed by an RBI ground ball by Bodenstab and a run scoring double by Nelson to give S&T a five-run lead.

Snyder's solo  home run in the seventh got the Hawks a run closer, but the Miners got that run back in the eighth when Ulrich scored on Johnson's sacrifice fly.  S&T also scored in the ninth.

Dan Borek (Greenville, Wis./Hortonville) pitched into the sixth to pick up his fifth win of the season, scattering eight hits and striking out four along the way.  Luke Marcheschi (Bloomington, Ill./Central Catholic) pitched through the eighth and Bryan Nolan (Ballwin, Mo./St. Louis University HS) threw the ninth to complete the contest.

The Miners outhit the Hawks 14-13 in the first game, with Bodenstab and Nelson getting three hits each.

S&T took the initial lead in game two, when Bodenstab singled, moved to third on a pair of wild pitches and scored when Miller reached base on an error.

However, the Hawks scored six in the bottom of the first –highlighted by Snyder's three-run homer that put Quincy into the lead – then scored seven more in the second after the Miners scored twice.

Lance Portwood (Edmond, Okla./Edmond Santa Fe) hit his first career collegiate homer, a two-run shot, in the third and the Miners also scored three in the sixth, the first scoring on a hit by Matt Reschke (Darien, Ill./Hinsdale South) and the other two on a single by Miller.  S&T tacked on a run in the seventh as well.

The Hawks (17-6, 3-3 GLVC) outhit the Miners (17-8, 4-2 GLVC) 19-8 in the nightcap, getting 12 of the hits during the first two innings of play.  Keith Coulson (Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway Central), the starter for S&T, took the loss.

The Miners and Hawks wrap up their weekend series with a noon doubleheader on Sunday.