Late-inning rally not enough for Doggy Paddlers to overcome crater-size deficit

QUINCY — The Quincy Doggy Paddlers dug themselves too big of a hole Thursday to have the same late-inning magic they experienced Wednesday.

A day after rallying multiple times to win in walk-off fashion over the Alton River Dragons, Quincy trailed the Burlington Bees 14-2 entering the bottom of the seventh inning of Thursday’s Prospect League game at QU Stadium before scoring 10 runs in the final three innings, but the Bees escaped with a 16-12 victory.

The Doggy Paddlers avoided the mercy rule with a three-run seventh, then did the same in more spectacular fashion in the eighth. Left fielder General Schofield hit an opposite field grand slam with one out to make it a 16-9 game. Quincy scored two more runs in the inning on a Wandel Campana ground out and a Tommy Harrison double, but Parker Lewin got Brayden Roberts to fly out with runners on second and third to end the inning.

After a scoreless top of the ninth from reliever Ethan Gamez, the Doggy Paddlers scored again in the ninth on an Andrew Gould sacrifice fly. They were two baserunners away from bringing the tying run to the plate when Jimmy Koza lined out to center field to end the game.

The Doggy Paddlers scored all 12 of their runs in the final five innings after being no-hit by Bees starting pitcher Danny Harris through 4 ⅓ innings. The Bees used a six-run second inning to take control of the game.

Schofield finished 3 for 5 with five RBIs. Bond went 2 for 3 and scored four runs in the final five innings. Harrison, the other Doggy Paddler with multiple hits, went 2 for 5. Cole Yearsley went 2 for 4 with a two-run home run and four RBIs for Burlington (9-6).

Quincy (6-8) will have one road game against the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes before returning home to take on the O’Fallon Hoots on Saturday and the Bees again on Sunday.