Shover, Carpenter combine on two-hit shutout; Gems’ lead grows to two games

QUINCY — Matt Shover allowed just two hits over six shutout innings, and reliever Tyler Carpenter finished with three hitless innings as the Quincy Gems cruised to a 9-0 victory over the Burlington Bees in a Prospect League game on Saturday night at QU Stadium.

The victory puts the Gems (22-20, 9-6 second half) two games in front of Burlington (8-9) and Normal (7-8) snd 2 1/2 games ahead of Clinton (7-9) for first place in the Great River Division of the West Conference. Seven of Quincy’s final 18 games are against Burlington.

Shover earned his first victory of the summer. He struck out seven. Burlington’s best chance to score game in the second inning when Justin Baehler singled to left with two outs, but Gems left fielder Ryan Hutchinson threw out Joey Fitzgerald at home plate.

Carpenter walked four during his stint. He walked three in the eighth, then struck out A.J. Henkle and Fitzgerald to end the threat.

Matt Schark had an RBI single in the first inning, and he had another RBI single in the sixth inning. He leads the league with 55 RBIs, and he’s nine ahead of Burlington’s Jackson Jones.  The Prospect League record is 66 RBIs, set in 2012 by Matthew Tellor of Springfield and Giancarlo Brugnoni of Chillicothe.

Brock Boynton and Jake Skrine had RBI singles in the second inning. Tyler Clark-Chiapparelli hit a solo homer in the third. Skrine had a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, and Dane Thomas had a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning. Quincy’s last run scored when Boynton popped up to the Jones, the Bees’ first basemen, with the bases loaded in the eighth. Jones crashed into Bees catcher Justin Baehler, and as they fell to the ground, Jayce Maag scampered home.