Stice turns in best start of summer, Stewart belts four hits to lead Gems to home victory

QUINCY — Bennett Stice turned in his best start of the summer for the Quincy Gems in a 9-3 victory over the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp in a Prospect League game Tuesday night at QU Stadium.

Stice, a Palmyra, Mo., native, allowed seven hits and three runs — two unearned — in 7 1/3 innings to earn the victory. Tim O’Connor recorded the last five outs of the game.

The Gems (14-12) remain in first place in the Great River Division, 1 1/2 games ahead of Normal.

Quincy jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, with two runs scoring on wild pitches, one run scoring on Zach Stewart’s double to left and another run scoring on Gage Swansen’s groundout.

Swansen scored on a passed ball in the third. The Gems added three more runs in the fourth inning, with Dylan Wipperman’s single scoring Tye Wood and another double by Stewart scoring Wipperman and Fay.

A botched double play ball by the Gems led to two unearned runs by the Pistol Shrimp in the fifth inning, but Quincy retaliated in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run by Drew Townsend.

Stewart had four hits for the Gems, while Fay and Townsend had two each.