La Fon completes big night with bases-loaded walk in ninth to cap comeback for Gems

QUINCY — After doing plenty of damage with his bat on Saturday night, Maurice La Fon used his patience to help secure a victory for the Quincy Gems.

La Fon, an outfielder from Albuquerque, N.M., drew a walk with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning to drive in the game-winning run in an 8-7 victory over the Clinton LumberKings in a Prospect League game at QU Stadium.

Quincy’s ninth-inning comeback started when Zack Stewart led off with a single and Lucas Loos walked. Bennett Eltoft tried to bunt the runners over, but Clinton pitcher Cole Conner fielded the bunt and threw to third for the first out.

Ethan Moore then hit a high-hopper over the mound that Clinton shortstop Matt Scherrman fielded, but his throw pulled first baseman Jeremy Conforti off the bag, loading the bases. Conner then walked pinch-hitter Jonathan Latham, tying the game at seven. Reliever Tyler Stern then came in to the game, and La Fon drew a five-pitch walk to end the game.

The Gems (1-2 second half, 20-15 overall) are one game behind Burlington for first place in the Great River Division. The victory snapped a three-game losing streak.

The LumberKings took a 2-0 lead against starter Gage Yost with two runs in the third, but Quincy responded with five runs in the fourth inning. LaFon drove in two runs with a double to right field. Otto Jones drove in a run with a groundout to shortstop. Tye Wood and Dylan Wipperman then followed with RBI singles.

A double steal in the sixth provided a run for Clinton, which then tied the score in the seventh when Connor Giusti hit a two-run homer to left off reliever Ryan Chmielewski.

The LumberKings then took the lead with back-to-back solo home runs by Luke Ira and Conforti off Chmielewski. LaFon cut the deficit to 7-6 with a solo home run, his first of the summer.

Jax Howard pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the victory. La Fon, Loos, Stewart and Wipperman all had two hits for the Gems.