Gems lose for sixth time in seven games, drop to third place in Great River Division

QUINCY — Too many walks and too many errors made it too difficult for the Quincy Gems to win a Prospect League game Thursday night at QU Stadium.

The Clinton LumberKings scored five runs in the first three innings and went on to post a 7-2 victory. Clinton (7-9) moved ahead of Quincy (6-9) in the Great River Division standings. The Gems now are 3 1/2 games behind first-place Normal.

Clinton used a sacrifice fly to score a run in the first, then took advantage of a throwing error on a steal of third base to score one run and stole home while a player was in a rundown to add another run in the second.

Jeremy Conforti hit a two-run homer off Gems starter and loser Philip Reinhardt in the third inning.

The Gems committed four errors, and the pitching staff allowed seven walks and hit a batter. 

Quincy’s only runs came in the fourth inning. Ethan Moore doubled to score Matthew Batts, and Moore scored on a sacrifice fly by Drew Townsend.

The game was delayed by lightning for 62 minutes before the start of the fifth inning. Quincy stranded two runners in the fifth and seventh innings. 

Batts and Andrew Fay had two hits each for Quincy, which has lost six of its last seven games.