Gems lose twinbill; all four teams in Great River Division within one game of each other

QUINCY — A doubleheader loss by the Quincy Gems on Wednesday has turned the race for the second half championship of the Prospect League’s Great River Division into a free-for-all.

The Gems rallied three times to tie the score but never led in a 10-7 loss in the first game at QU Stadium. The Gems then allowed seven runs in the first two innings of the second game and lost 8-3.

Quincy (23-24, 10-10 in the second half) now leads the division by a half-game over Clinton (9-10) and Normal (9-10). Burlington (8-10) is a game out.

The Gems came from behind to tie the score at 3-3, 5-5 and 6-6. However, Alton took the lead for good with four runs in the seventh against losing pitcher Connery O’Donnell.

Alex Wattermann homered for Quincy, which had nine players with one hit each.

The River Dragons scored three runs in the first and four in the second against second-game starter and losing pitcher Logan Tabeling. Quincy scored twice in the fifth to make the score 7-3. Matt Schark drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, and Tyler Clark-Chiapparelli singled in a run. Andrew Fay popped out to end the inning with the bases loaded.

Jake Skrine had three of Quincy’s seven hits.

Schark’s RBI in the second game gives him a league-leading 59 RBIs this season. The Prospect League record is 66 RBIs, set in 2012 by Matthew Tellor of Springfield and Giancarlo Brugnoni of Chillicothe.