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By DON O'BRIEN Herald-Whig Sports Editor Nick Tindall was in a unique situation Saturday night. With the Quincy Gems' game with Danville knotted at 4 in the 10thinning on Saturday night, the Dans decided to walk Quincy firstbaseman Zach George in order to put runners on the corners with oneout to pitch to Tindall, whose batting average had dipped to .182after going hitless in his first three at-bats. Tindall, a catcher from Quincy University , wasn't offended though. He relished the opportunity, delivering ashot over the right fielder's head to bring home Caleb Howell withthe game-winning run in a 5-4 triumph at QU-Stadium. "It's strange because that was the calmest I had been all night atthe plate," said Tindall, whose walk-off hit was the first of hiscareer. "I just told myself to stay on top of it and get the ballto the outfield and we'll win the ballgame. It all just clicked." Tindall took a mighty cut on the first pitch Dans reliever TroyMcNickle offered up. "You have to get sidearm guys like that early," Tindall said. "Iknew he was having problems getting his slider over for a strike. Isat dead-red fastball." Tindall's hit pushed the Gems' winning streak to four games aftertheir season-opening loss to Hannibal. Working with a short roster, the Gems got a big lift fromleft-hander Zac Pearman. In need of a starter, Gems manager ChrisMartin turned to Pearman. The Lindenwood product had just thrown 31/3 innings of relief in Thursday's win at Terre Haute. "Pearman was huge for us tonight," Martin said. "We were in a tightspot for a starter. He said he felt good. He deserved a better fatethan he got tonight, but a couple of errors in the middle inningscost us." Danville (1-4) was in control for much of the game. The Dans pushedhome two runs in the top of the third on a run-scoring ground outby Wes Minton and an RBI single by Wes Perkins. Quincy counteredwith a run in the bottom of the inning when Nick Day scored on JoeKelch's ground-out to third base. The Gems tied the game with a run in the fifth -- Day scoring onHowell's two-out single to center field. Danville took advantage of two Gems errors with two outs in the topof the sixth. Day made a bad throw on a grounder to third to putrunners at second and third. Ryan Black followed with a grounder toshort that Kelch booted while trying to bare hand the ball, whichallowed both runners to score. Quincy, which has just nine position players right now, scrapedtogether two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Left fielder DavidKuhne hit a shot to center field to lead off the inning that Danscenter fielder Breck Kline just missed catching. Kuhne motoredtoward third and was awarded home when Minton's relay throw fromshortstop flew over the Gems' dugout. Day then reached when he washit by a pitch. He was sacrificed to second by Zac Zdanowicz andscored on a two-out single to left field by Kelch. "Our nine offensive guys are giving us everything they have rightnow," Martin said. Howell led off the 10th win a single and stole second. He wassacrificed to third by Kelch, which set up the walk to George.Tindall then hit a 1-1 pitch to win it. After Pearman struck out nine over 6 1/3 innings of work, Gemsrelievers Seth McWilliams and Bronson Smith held the Dans in check.McWilliams threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Smith bailed him out of abases-loaded jam in the eighth when he got Kline to ground out toshortstop. Smith tacked on two more scoreless innings to pick uphis first win. Smith, a right-hander from Harding (Ark.)University, has a win and two saves to his credit already thisseason. "We're trying to grind it out until help arrives," Martin said."There are three or four more guys who are supposed to be here(today)." Martin said the team might be without Howell for a short time nextweek. The center fielder from Eastern Illinois is dealing with sometendonitis in his left knee. Howell, who had two hits and an RBISaturday, is leading the Prospect League in hitting with a .565average. The Gems and Dans will wrap up a two-game series tonight at 6:35 atQU-Stadium. -- dobrien@whig.com/221-3365. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as Carbon Steel Boiler Tube , Stainless Steel U Bend Tube Manufacturer for oversee buyer. To know more, please visits Stainless Steel U Bend Tube.
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