D’Alessio’s eighth-inning homer helps Gems snap five-game losing streak

June 3, 2021 | By Muddy River News

Gino D'Alessio rounds third base after hitting a three-run home run in the eighth inning of Thursday night's game. (Photo Courtesy of Quincy Gems)

QUINCY — Justin Paulsen could have had Gino D’Alessio bunt.

After Andrew Fay and Bryce Miller opened the bottom of the eighth inning with walks, the Quincy Gems manager could have asked for a sacrifice bunt to move the tying and winning runs into scoring position as the Gems trailed 5-4.

Instead, Paulsen had D’Alessio swing away.

It paid off.

On an 0-2 count, D’Alessio scorched a home run over the left-center field wall off Cape Catfish reliever Chad Donze. The Gems went on to post a 7-5 victory on Thursday night at QU Stadium, snapping a five-game losing streak.

Reliever Bailey Wendell gave up a run in the top of the eighth that allowed Cape to break a 4-4 tie. He gave up a two-out single in the ninth but struck out Zack Beekman to end the game and earn the victory.

Gino D’Alessio hits a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning, and Bailey Wendell records the last out in the ninth inning with a strikeout.

Cape took a 3-0 lead entering the bottom of the second. The Gems cut into that lead when Alex Wattermann scored on a wild pitch and Ryan Hutchinson had an RBI groundout.

The Catfish (1-4) added a run in the fifth. The Gems scored one in the sixth on an RBI single by D’Alessio, then tied the game in the seventh when Wattermann’s RBI triple scored Matt Schark.

Jack Payne pitches three hitless innings of relief for Quincy (2-5). D’Alessio finished with two hits and four RBIs, and Wattermann had two hits.