QUINCY - Otto Jones' single down the right-field line scored Drew Townsend with the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Quincy Gems got past the Alton River Dragons 6-5 in a Prospect League game played at Quincy University Stadium Friday night in Quincy.
Despite the loss, the River Dragons remain a game-and-a-half behind the Prairie Land Division leader O'Fallon, Mo., Hoots after their loss at the Burlington, Ia., Bees 15-5. It was also the first of a home-and-home series against the Gems, with the return match at home on Saturday.
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The Gems went ahead in the first 1-0, but Alton came back to score twice in the top of the second and once in the third to go ahead 3-1. Quincy tied it in the bottom of the third with a pair of runs to make it 3-3 and it stayed that way until the seventh, when Gateway scored twice in the top of the seventh as Edwardsville's Blake Burris doubled in both Alton's Robby Taul and Eddie King to give the Grizzlies a 5-3 lead. The Gems countered with a run in the home half of the seventh to cut the lead to 5-4, then scored the tying and winning runs in the eighth to take the 6-5 win.
Kurtis Reid led Alton with two hits and two RBIs, while Ben Gallaher had two hits and drove in a run, Burris' two-run double was his only hit and RBIs of the game and King, Noah Bush, Marcus Heusohn, Alec Nigut, Taul and Chris Andrew all had hits for the Dragons.
Kalen Reardon struck out four while on the mound for Alton, while Carson Richardson fanned a pair of Gem batters and both Nigut and Hunter Callahan both struck out a single batter each.
Alton's Brayden Haug struck out five for Quincy, while Edwardsville's Hayden Moore picked up a hit for the Gems.
