Chappell, Andujar, Harbin all play key roles in victory that gets Gems to .500 mark for first time

QUINCY — Jaison Andujar drove in four runs, Chase Chappell had three hits in his debut at shortstop and Noah Harbin pitched six solid innings to help the Quincy Gems reach the .500 mark for the first time this season with a 10-4 victory over the Jackson (Tenn.) Rockabillys on Monday night in a Prospect League game at QU Stadium. 

The Gems (18-18, 5-3 second half) are 1½ games behind Burlington and percentage points behind Clinton in the Great River Division. All four teams in the division have a winning record.

The Gems and Rockabillys were tied at 1-1 after four innings. After Jackson scored a run in the top of the fifth, the Gems took the lead for good with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Kyle Hvidsten hit a double to left-center that scored Harrison Blueweiss and Chappell, and Andujar followed with another double to left-center to score Hvidsten.

The teams traded runs in the sixth, but the Gems put the game away with two runs in the seventh and three in the eighth. Andujar doubled off the wall in center field to drive in Black in the seventh, then scored on Harry Fandre’s groundout. Black doubled to left to score two runs in the eighth, and Black came around on a groundout by Andujar.

Harbin allowed six hits, two walks and three runs over six innings to improve his record to 2-0. Brian Henke pitched 1 2/3 innings of hitless relief, and Braden Smith got four outs to close the game.

Andujar had two hits and four RBIs. He’s collected four hits and seven RBIs in his last two games.

Hvidsten scored two runs and drove in two runs. He’s hitting .373 this summer, eighth-best in the Prospect League.