Alton Junior Legion baseball team alive in state tourney winner's bracket

July 30, 2016 8:40 AM

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DECATUR – Alton American Legion Post 126's junior baseball team won their first two games of the Illinois State Junior Tournament Thursday and Friday to advance in the winner's bracket of the event being hosted by Decatur's American Legion post.

Alton will take on Moline, 2-1 winners over Danville in Friday’s late game, at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Forsyth Park in Decatur; the winner of that game moves into Sunday's state final.

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Alton defeated Charleston 5-1 in their tournament opener Thursday evening, then advanced with a 6-5 win over Valmeyer, who had opened the tournament with a 3-2 win over host Decatur Thursday.

Simon Nguyen doubled in a pair of runs to put Alton ahead 3-1 in Thursday's opener; Ryan Best went the distance to get the win. In Friday's win, key hits from Ben Mossman and Rylee Bernot helped Alton get over the line, along with big sacrifice flies from Nguyen and Griffen Bionco. Adam Stilts got the win for Alton, going six innings; Zaide Wilson pitched the seventh to preserve the win.

Here are the results of the tournament so far and the remaining schedule for the weekend:

THURSDAY, JULY 28

Game 1: Valmeyer 3, Decatur 2

Game 2: Danville 7, Salem 5

Game 3: Alton 5, Charleston 1

Game 4: Moline 4, Paris 3

FRIDAY, JULY 29

Game 5: Charleston 7, Decatur 3 (Decatur eliminated)

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Game 6: Paris 4, Salem 2 (Salem eliminated)

Game 7: Alton 6, Valmeyer 5