Blue Devils’ Gibson wastes little time, gives United Township first conference loss of season

QUINCY — Efficient and effective. That’s what Drake Gibson was on Monday.

The Quincy High School junior left-hander threw just 81 pitches and did not give up an earned run in a complete game effort as the Blue Devils beat United Township 4-1 on Monday in Western Big 6 Conference play, handing the Panthers their first conference loss in the process.

Back-to-back singles by James Day and Jacob Salisbury gave the Blue Devils a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second, and that was all the run support Gibson needed. Gibson only gave up an unearned run on Kellan Kennedy’s two-out single in the fourth. 

The Panthers’ only baserunners the rest of the way came on a sixth-inning walk and a single and an error in the seventh. Gibson struck out Cameron Harris — his sixth of the game — and got Christian Peterson to ground out with runners on first and second to end the game.

Mason Ritter went 3 for 3 and drove in the final two runs for the Blue Devils on a single in the sixth.

Quincy (8-12, 3-6 WB6) and United Township (14-9, 8-1) will wrap up their home-and-home series with a game in East Moline on Wednesday.