Fly ball lost in lights helps spark rally as Gems move into first place in Great River Division

QUINCY — The scoreboard will show the Quincy Gems appeared to have won comfortably on Thursday night, but they took advantage in the late innings of an error, a big break, a home run and good relief pitching to pull off the victory.

Zach Stewart drove in five runs with a double and a three-run home run to lead the Gems to an 11-5 victory over the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp in a Prospect League game at QU Stadium.

The Gems (4-3 second half, 23-16 overall) moved into first place in the Great River Division, a game ahead of Burlington and Normal.

The Gems trailed 4-0 entering the bottom of the fifth inning when they scored two runs. Dylan Wipperman drove in a run with a fielder’s choice, and Jonathan Latham scored on a wild pitch. Bennett Eltoft cut the deficit to 4-3 with a solo home run in the sixth, but the Pistol Shrimp added a run in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Zach Lane.

The Gems took the lead in the seventh. Jayden Shafer led off with a high-hop single over the pitcher’s mound. After Wipperman popped up, Andrew Fay hit a sharp ground ball to first base that Tucker Bougie didn’t get a glove on, allowing Shafer to reach third and Fay to get to second.

Hayden Moore then singled to left to drive in Moore. Stewart then lifted a routine fly ball that left fielder Evan Evola lost in the lights. Stewart reached second with a double, and Fay and Moore both scored. Lucas Loos then singled to center to drive in Stewart.

Quincy scored four more runs in the eighth. Wipperman drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, and Stewart hit a three-run home run to left field for his team-best sixth homer of the season.

Ryan Foley earned the victory with two innings of one-run relief. Peyton Apps, a Pittsfield High School graduate, came on in the eighth inning and allowed the first two batters to reach base with singles. However, Apps got Ivan Witt to hit into a double play — one of four the Gems turned in the game — and Kody Watanabe to foul out to third base.

Apps then pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the save.

Shafer had three hits for Quincy, while Latham and Stewart had two each.