By JOSH HOUCHINS

Herald-Whig Sports Writer

The Quincy Gems would love to see Jon Myers' record-breaking summer coincide with a postseason run.

They hope the push started Saturday night.

Myers' second inning grand slam gave the Saint Louis University signee his 13th home run of the season, setting the Quincy summer collegiate league record and helping the Gems to a 9-5 victory over Dubois County at QU-Stadium.

"It was a great feeling to hit it," said Myers, who passed Jeff Evans' 1978 mark of 12 home runs in a season. "Hopefully it wasn't the last one this season."

Myers finished 2 for 3, while teammates Tyler Goodro and Thomas McCormick added two hits apiece, as the Gems (18-24 overall, 8-10 second half) moved with three games of Danville for the second-half lead and the right to advance to the Central Illinois Collegiate League championship series against first-half winner Springfield.

"There is a little bit of pressure," said Quincy reliever Pat Doyle, who tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings to pick up his first save. "When you have to pretty much win out to make the playoffs, every inning is crucial. So there was some pressure on everybody tonight."

Myers seemingly shook off the pressure.

After the Bombers (15-28, 8-11) took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on an error and subsequent RBI double by Eric Hanlon, Quincy jumped on Dubois County's inability to close out an inning.

With one on and two outs in the second, Bombers starter Justin Higdon walked Kenny Burns and hit Zach Gerler to load the bases. Alex Acheson drove in a run by being hit by pitch and Oliver Palmer followed by reaching on an error.

With the bases still loaded, Myers drilled the first pitch from Higdon over the left field wall to give the Gems a 6-2 lead.

"I was looking fastball in and I got it right there," said Myers, who is second in the CICL with 36 RBI. "I saw it and got a good piece of wood on it and sent it out."

Myers has hit more home runs than two teams in the CICL.

Since the creation of the CICL in 1963, only four players have hit more than 13 home runs in a season, with the last being Twin City's Frank Mustari, who hit 14 in 1986 when teams used aluminum bats.

Springfield's Loren White holds the CICL record with 20 in 1984, also using aluminum bats.

"For the home run to be a grand slam was also pretty sweet," Myers said. "Just to be on the list with some of the great guys to come through Quincy says a lot. It means a ton to hear the fans go crazy."

Quincy plated two more runs in the fifth on three Bombers errors to go up 8-2.

But Dubois County responded with three runs in the sixth when Quincy starter Shane Zegarac (2-4) could not get the final out after allowing a leadoff double.

Chad Calvird led off with a double to right and scored on a two-out double to left by Garrett Seagraves to cut the deficit to 8-3.

Doyle entered and surrendered a two-run single to TJ Daily before getting Kevin Gillespie to ground out to end the frame.

"I didn't get frustrated after the first because they weren't hitting home runs or anything," Zegarac said. "I knew that if I just settled down a little and worked my fastball, I could get things going. Pat came in and got out of things and we got the win."

-- sports@whig.com/221-3365