Gems score eight in first inning, get solid start from Ribes in rout of Burlington

QUINCY — Jack Zebig’s three-run home run capped an eight-run first inning, and Anthony Ribes threw six innings of shutout baseball as the Quincy Gems routed the Burlington Bees 15-0 on Saturday night in a Prospect League game at QU Stadium.

The Gems (28-24, 15-9 second half) are in first place in the Great River Division, 1½ games ahead of Illinois Valley and two games ahead of Burlington. Quincy has a day off Sunday, then has six regular season games remaining, and three of them are against Illinois Valley.

Most of Quincy’s damage in the first inning came with two outs. Joe Siervo avoided a double play on a ground ball to second base that scored Jimmy Koza. Lucas Loos scored on a wild pitch, and Tristan Meny drove in a run with a single. Otto Jones then doubled to right, and Meny scored when the throw to second got away.

After Easton Mains walked, Charles Schebler reached on an error by the Bees’ first baseman, scoring Jones. Zebig wrapped up the inning with a three-run blast to right field.

Quincy added five more runs in the second. One run scored on a throwing error, one scored on a wild pitch, and Schebler, Meny and Zebig all delivered RBI singles.

Meny wrapped up Quincy’s scoring with a two-run home run to right in the third inning. He finished the game with four hits and four RBIs. He has 13 hits and eight RBIs in 26 at-bats since joining the team six games ago.

Ribes allowed just two hits and walked three to earn the victory. Carter Poole pitched a scoreless seventh to wrap up the game by the 10-run rule.