QUINCY -- The Quincy Gems finally broke through on the win side in the second half of the season, defeating the Springfield Sliders on Sunday night 4-3 in a Prospect League game at QU Stadium.
Sam Huser pitched five innings to earn the victory, He improved his record to 4-3, allowing seven hits.
Kenny LaPierre allowed his first run of the season, but he pitched 3 innings of relief and allowed three hits. He stranded runners in scoring position in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings. His earned run average in 13 1/3 innings is now 0.68.
Elvin Ramos earned the save, striking out all three Sliders batters in the ninth inning on called third strikes. The save is Ramos' fourth of the season.
Quincy scored first in the third inning when Houston Looser walked, stole second and scored on Jack Holden's single to center.
The Gems scored twice in the fourth when Deion Thompson walked, Trey Mathis singled to center, C.J. Schaeffer bunted them to second and third, and Looser came through with a two-out single to center to score both Thompson and Mathis.
The Gems scored their final run in the seventh when Joey Polak hit an opposite field home run that curled around the right-field foul pole. The homer was his sixth of the season.
The Gems (19-17 overall), the first-half champions in the West Division, are 1-3 in the second half. Springfield lost for the first time in four games in the second half.