QUINCY -- The Quincy Gems overcame a 4-0 deficit in the first inning, but they fell behind again by three runs and couldn't come back again Sunday night in a 9-7 loss to the Danville Dans in a Prospect League game at QU Stadium.
The Gems (19-22 overall), the first-half champions in the West Division, are 1-9 in the second half. They have lost six in a row for their longest losing streak since they joined the Prospect League in 2009. They trail the Springfield Sliders (25-14, 8-1 second half) by 7 1/2 games in the West.
Danville scored four times against Quincy starter Colan Treml in the first, but a five-run bottom half of the first for the Gems was highlighted by a grand slam by Scottie Sanders.
Danville regained the lead with two runs in the second and two more in the fourth. Quincy scored in the fifth when Trey Mathis homered to left. The teams traded single runs in the seventh inning, with the Gems' run coming when C.J. Schaeffer singled in Mathis.
A potentially bigger rally in the seventh, however, was snuffed out when Shea Stine hit into a double play with the bases loaded. 
Quincy got singles from Mitch Carriger and Deion Thompson to lead off the eighth, but Danville reliever Casey Sullivan came on to strike out the next six batters to end the game.
Schaeffer and Mathis both had three hits for the Gems, who outhit the Dans 13-12 but struck out 13 times and left 11 runners on base.