TRENTON - Caden Laslie, Cameron Hailstone and Brady Salzman all drove home two runs each, while Andrew Wieneke pitched a complete game on the mound as Alton Post 126 eliminated Carmi 10-2 in a losers bracket game of the American Legion Fifth Division tournament Wednesday night at Trenton.
It was the first of an arduous journey in the losers bracket in the double-elimination tournament for the Legionnaires, with a 15-hit attack helping Alton bounce back nicely from a first-round loss to Highland the night before.
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"They went well," said Alton manager Doug Booten. "We had 15 hits, and you couldn't ask for more out of our bats. And great pitching, too."
The Legionnaires showed plenty of resilience in their game, keeping on staying aggressive, and also showed their pluck and fight.
"These kids just don't quit, and it showed tonight," Booten said. "We're playing for our lives, they know it, and they really came out well tonight. We get to do it again tomorrow, we live to play another day."
Alton jumped out on top with two runs in the first, then added two more in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead, then broke it open with four runs in the sixth to make it 8-0. Both teams traded two runs each in the seventh to make the 10-2 final.
Laslie led the way with four hits and a pair of RBIs, while Preston Schepers came up big with three hits and an RBI, Frank Goss had two hits and drove home three runs, Hailstone had two hits and two RBIs, Brendon Smith had a pair of hits, Salzman came up with a hit and two RBIs and Preston Kaylor had had a hit for the Legionnaires.
Wieneke pitched a complete game, allowing two runs on five hits, while walking three and striking out five.
"We needed a good performance, and Andy gave us a great performance," Booten said.
The Legionnaires now advance to another elimination game, this time in Centralia against Trenton in a 6 p.m. first pitch. Alton and Trenton had played to a draw in the group stage of the Firecracker tournament over Fourth of July weekend, and both teams are raring to go.
"We only played them once, in the Firecracker, and we tied them," Booten said, "So they'll be ready to go. And so will we. Our kids have had their backs against the wall before, and they've responded."
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