Ninth-inning home run gives Burlington second straight victory over Gems

QUINCY — A two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning by Zane Zielinski broke a 3-3 tie and gave the Burlington Bees a 5-3 victory over the Quincy Gems on Tuesday night in a Prospect League game at QU Stadium.

After Marcos Sanchez drew a one-out walk, Zielinski drove Michael Nunez’s first pitch over the wall in left-center field. It was his first home run of the season.

Quincy only mustered a two-out walk from Nick Iannantone in the ninth inning. Bees reliever Reece Wissinger had four strikeouts in the five outs he recorded to earn the victory.

Gems starter Ryan Towers pitched five shutout innings before Burlington touched him for three runs in the sixth. Two of the runs were unearned when Matt Schark made an error on Austin Simpson’s ground ball to first base.

Quincy responded with two runs in the bottom of the sixth when Jake Skrine and Schark drove in runs with singles. The Gems then tied the score in the eighth when Schark drove in Skrine with a single.

Skrine had two hits for the Gems, and his .473 batting average is second best in the Prospect League.

The Gems (9-13) have lost two straight games to the Bees. They are three games behind Burlington in the West-Great River Division.