Gems split doubleheader at O’Fallon

O’FALLON, Mo. — After winning the first game of a Prospect League doubleheader 5-2, the Quincy Gems fell one run shy of a sweep with a 4-3 loss to the O’Fallon Hoots on Thursday night at CarShield Field.

Hoots reliever Anthony Klein kept the Gems at bay in the final three innings of the second game, walking two and allowing no hits to earn the victory.

A sacrifice fly and a bases-loaded walk helped the Gems tie the score at 2 in the second inning. The Gems tied the score at 3 in the fourth inning when Nick Iannantone drove in Danny Sperling with a single, but the Hoots scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth.

Bailey Wendell took the loss for Quincy despite allowing just two hits and no walks while striking out seven in three innings of relief.

The Gems scored twice in the top of the first in the opener. They added a run on RBI single by Matt Schark in the third inning, then scored twice in the fourth on Gino D’Alessio’s fourth homer of the season and Iannantone’s RBI single. 

Brayden Haug earned the victory for Quincy, striking out 10 while allowing three hits and three walks in 5⅓ innings. Jack Payne earned the save. D’Alessio had three hits for the Gems.

The Gems (11-14) are three games behind first-place Normal in the West-Great River Division.