Moore’s grand slam sparks Gems to easy victory in front of largest home crowd of season

QUINCY — The Quincy Gems’ magic number is one.

The Gems only need to win one of their next three games, or the Normal Cornbelters need to lose on of their next two games, for the Gems to clinch the first half championship in the Prospect League’s Great River Division. 

Quincy (17-12) moved 2 1/2 games ahead of Normal in the division after Friday night’s 12-2 victory at QU Stadium before the largest crowd of the season of 2,438 on a glorious 80-degree night that ended with a dazzling fireworks display. The game took two hours and 18 minutes to complete.

The Gems used a hit by Andrew Fay, three walks and two Normal errors to score four runs in the bottom of the first. The Gems put the game away with eight runs in the bottom of the third inning, highlighted by a grand slam by Hayden Moore. The homer was Moore’s first of the season, and he was hitting .161 entering the game.

Starting pitcher Brayden Haug (2-1) gave up three hits, two walks and one run in five innings to earn the victory. Luc Fladda allowed one run in two innings to finish the game, which ended after seven innings because of the 10-run rule.

Fay and Zack Stewart combined for four of the Gems’ seven hits. Normal pitchers Spencer Smith and Coby Rogers combined to walk eight Gems.

Quincy plays host to Springfield in a 5:30 p.m. Saturday doubleheader. The Lucky Horseshoes’ game on Thursday in Quincy was rescheduled after one of their players died in a car crash early Thursday morning.