Doggy Paddlers Held to Two Hits in 11-0 Loss
QUINCY, IL — Baseball officially returned to Quincy on Wednesday night as the Quincy Doggy Paddlers hosted their home opener in front of 989 fans. It was a perfect night weather-wise, but the game itself proved challenging as the Paddlers were shut out by the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp, falling 11-0 in a seven-inning mercy-rule loss.
Quincy recorded just two hits on the night and struggled to gain momentum against the Pistol Shrimp’s lockdown defense and strong pitching. The Paddlers turned to sophomore Jason Schmierer for the start, while Illinois Valley went with freshman Kollin Asbury, who delivered a dominant outing.
The Pistol Shrimp jumped out early, taking advantage of an error and a pair of singles to load the bases with no outs in the first. Connor Prahl knocked in two runs with an RBI single, followed by an RBI single from catcher Thomas Lynch. A ground ball double play by Justin Lang brought in a fourth run to cap a 4-0 first inning.
In the second, a single, a double, and a walk again loaded the bases. With two outs, Prahl drew a walk to force in another run, making it 5-0.
The third inning saw more trouble for the Paddlers. After a walk, a single, and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for the third time, Quincy went to the bullpen and brought in hometown freshman Brady Lowe. But the Shrimp stayed aggressive: a walk, an RBI single, a sac fly, and a throwing error plated four more runs to stretch the lead to 9-0.
Lang led off the fourth with a walk, stole second, and scored on an RBI single by second baseman AJ Weller, pushing the lead to 10-0 and putting the mercy rule into effect—pending no Quincy runs.
Quincy held Illinois Valley scoreless in the fifth, giving a small window for momentum. However, Asbury continued his impressive start, allowing only one hit through five innings.
Another Quincy native, freshman Ethan Rose, came on in relief for the Paddlers in the sixth. He gave up a pair of singles and walks to load the bases, and a hit-by-pitch plated the final run of the night. The Pistol Shrimp held Quincy scoreless through the bottom of the seventh to seal the 11-0 win.
Illinois Valley improved to 1-1 and will face Quincy again on Thursday, May 29, with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
The Paddlers fall to 0-2 and will close out the two-game series with the Shrimp before welcoming the Alton River Dragons to town.
From the Dugout
Yeah, games like that happen. We didn’t pitch very well, and it’s gonna happen at some point in a long baseball year. Hopefully in Game 2 we get it out of our system, regroup, and go play tomorrow.
— Field Manager Brad Gyorkos
None of these guys know each other, right? We’ve got to find ways to just play better baseball, get to know each other a little more, and do the right things—it’s gonna be fine.
— Gyorkos on team chemistry
Four years ago we were 0-2 and playing bad baseball too, and all of a sudden we were playing for a championship. Games like this help if you want to win. In the grand scheme of things, maybe we learn something.
— Gyorkos reflecting on previous seasons
I was happy with it. I think the people of Quincy wanted baseball, and they showed out. I just wish we would’ve played a little better for them. I hope they keep coming back.
— Gyorkos on fan support
Pistol Shrimp Key Stats
Kollin Asbury (W, 1-0): 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 5 K, 3 BB
AJ Weller: 3-4, 1 R, 1 RBI (.714 AVG)
Jake Ferguson: 2-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB (.600 AVG)
Doggy Paddlers Key Stats
Jason Schmierer (L, 0-1): 2.1 IP, 7 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Krew Bond: 1-2
Brayden Roberts: 1-2
