Birthday blast: Gems’ Loos punctuates victory over Hoots with home run on day he turns 20

QUINCY — Although it’s a birthday generally celebrated without much hullabaloo — Nos. 18 and 21 bear more significance — Lucas Loos made certain No. 20 would be unforgettable.

There’s a memento to serve as his reminder of it, too.

After the Quincy Gems third baseman watched a series of birthday wishes from family and friends played on the videoboard at QU Stadium in the middle of the sixth inning Tuesday night, he led off the bottom of the frame by launching a first-pitch curveball for a home run far beyond the left-field wall.

Shortly thereafter, Gems owner Jimmie Louthan meandered to the seats behind home plate and presented Krisann Loos, the mother of the Payson Seymour and John Wood Community College product, with the home run ball that had been retrieved from the parking lot that is under construction to the north of the stadium.

It punctuated an 11-5 victory over the O’Fallon Hoots in Prospect League play in which the Gems scored eight times in the first two innings and took the pressure off a pair of local pitching products.

Bennett Stice, the lanky right-hander from Palmyra, Mo., who pitches at Lindenwood, worked the first six innings, striking out five and walking none. He allowed four runs and seven hits, but avoided serious danger thanks to a couple of stellar catches by center fielder Hayden Moore. Stice improved to 4-4 overall.

Stefan Stockwell, a left-hander reliever from Culver-Stockton College, worked the final three innings, striking out three, walking one and allowing one unearned run for his second save of the season.

The local products sparked the offense, too.

Second baseman Dayson Croes, a recent Quincy University graduate, went 3 for 4 with a double, three runs scored and four RBIs. Shortstop Logan Voth, a Unity graduate and junior at QU, went 3 for 4 with a run scored. Jonathan Latham, the Gems’ catcher, went 3 for 5 with three RBIs.

They all had a hand in building a big lead.

In the first inning, Moore walked leading off, stole second and scored on Croes single. An error in right field and a fielder’s choice put runners at the corners before Croes stole home on the backend of a double steal. Latham followed with an RBI single for a 3-0 lead.

The Hoots scratched across a run in the top of the second, but the Gems answered with a five-run frame. With one out, six consecutive Gems reached base safely with Croes and Drew Townsend each providing a two-run single. Latham added an RBI groundout.

The Gems own the best overall record in the Great River Division at 27-23 and sit in a two-way tie for second in the second-half standings at 8-10. The Normal CornBelters are 11-6 in the second half, having won nine of their last 10 games.