With date for playoff game set for Sunday, Gems get routed at home by Pistol Shrimp

QUINCY — With a Prospect League playoff bid secured, Quincy Gems manager Brad Gyorkos chose to give some of his starters a day off for what turned out to be a 12-6 loss to the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp on Thursday night at QU Stadium.

The Gems (30-25, 17-10 second half) are in first place in the Great River Division, 1 game ahead of Clinton in the second half. Even if Clinton, the first-half champion, were to catch Quincy to win the second-half crown, Quincy has the best overall record of the three remaining division foes. The Gems will play Clinton in a single-game elimination playoff at 2 p.m. Sunday in Clinton.

The Pistol Shrimp tagged starter Cole Parkhill for six hits, three walks and three runs in four innings. Reliever Drew Evans then allowed seven runs in two innings of work.

Quincy, which rested Joe Siervo, Jimmy Koza and Jack Zebig, trailed 12-1 entering the bottom of the eighth before scraping up five runs in the final two innings. Charles Schebler and Andrew Fay each had two hits for the Gems.