ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – It may just seem like another Tuesday to some, but for Griffon Baseball's Alex Crouch, today's doubleheader vs. Quincy featured the definition of a career-defining moment.

GAME 1
Quincy 7, MWSU 4

Before the good comes the hardships, and that's what Missouri Western dealt with in their 7-4 loss to Quincy in game one. The Griffons (11-28) built an early 3-0 lead thanks to RBI singles by Hunter Rumachik and Jared Munk in the first inning and a Brady Holden RBI groundout in the second. However, Quincy (19-17)  cut into Trey Asher's lead with two runs in the fourth. 

Jared Munk scored on a wild pitch in the fourth to put MWSU up 4-2, but the Hawks hounded pitcher David Steffen for three earned runs between the sixth and seventh inning. Quincy's Luke Napleton tripled to right field to start off the sixth, eventually scoring on Dayson Croes RBI infield single. Down 4-3 going into the seventh, Lance Logsdon's single through the right scored Gino D'Alessio, tying the game up at 4-4.

A two-run single by Croes surrendered MWSU's lead and but the Hawks up, 6-4. A Nolan Wosman double to left scored Croes for an insurance run. 

GAME 2
MWSU 5, Quincy 2

With everything squared up at 2-2 and history to be made at home plate in the bottom of the sixth, nothing could have broken the bind better than a blast into the record books. Crouch's go-ahead, three-run crank to right field set the new single-season home run record and gave MWSU the 5-2 win. Crouch's 15th home run of the season breaks what was a four-way tie between himself, Troy Landi (2009), Grant Fink (2013) and Jeremy Alvarado (2016). The baseball student-athlete of the year is four trips around the bags away from tying David Glaude (30) for the most career home runs in program history.

D'Alessio set up Quincy's early lead and eventually the late-game dramtics with a a two-run single in the first inning. Brenden Andersen walked the bags packed in the bottom half of the frame to score Holden. Moments later, Riley Higgins scored on a passed ball. The game remained scoreless until Crouch cracked the contest back open in the sixth.

Easton Unruh (1-1) grabs his first win of the season while Carson Aycock earns his first save. Aycock gave up two hits but left the Hawks stranded to tie together a historic day for his Griffons. 

NEXT UP

The Griffons gear up for their final homestand of the season with a three-game series vs. Emporia State (18-25, 10-17 MIAA) starting this Friday at 4 p.m. The Hornets are winners of two non-conference games in a row but lost two-out-of-three vs. Washburn spanning from April 14-16. Sunday's game vs. Emporia will celebrate MWSU's six seniors: Crouch; Holden; Chaz Verduzco; Trey Asher; Brian Tan; and Alec McGeehee.