BOX SCORE
QUINCY, Ill. - Behind a three-run home run from Mitchell Broughton and two-runs shots by Justin Dunning and Curran Collins, Quincy defeated Northern Kentucky 8-2 on Sunday morning in the championship game of the 2011 GLVC Baseball Tournament to claim the league title and conference's automatic berth to the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
The conference baseball title is the first for Quincy since the 2000 season when the Hawks' head coach Josh Rabe was a player for his alma mater.
Quincy (35-18) broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third when Broughton lifted his three-run shot over the left field fence off Northern Kentucky starter Jim Ryan.
Dunning extended the Hawks' early lead to 5-0 when he took Norse reliever Blake Bagshaw deep in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Broughton doubled to center field to lead off the Hawks' fifth inning and was later brought home on a single by first baseman Curran to push the Quincy lead to 6-0.
The Norse threatened in the sixth after scoring a run to pull within 6-1 and loading the bases with one out, however, Quincy starter Chris Connor quelched the Norse rally by striking out Max Colaner and Brandon Wood to end the inning.
Northern Kentucky (34-19) cut the lead to 6-2 on a Bryan Rose sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning, but Quincy quickly answered in the bottom half of the inning behind Curran's two-run homer.
Quincy reliever Royce Duncan threw three scoreless innings for the Hawks to help them secure the victory.
Connor (4-2) picked up the win by scattering eight hits and striking out five.
Quincy has now secured a berth to the NCAA Division II National Tournament and will learn its first round matchup when the pairings are announced by the NCAA at 10 p.m. ET. Northern Kentucky will also await news of a potential tournament berth.