Lucky Horseshoes Score In Seven Of Nine Innings, Defeat River Dragons 11-5, Alton Has Lost Six Of Last Seven Games

ALTON - The Springfield Lucky Horseshoes scored in seven of the nine innings played on Wednesday night in their 11-5 win over the Alton River Dragons in a Prospect League baseball game played at Lloyd Hopkins Field at Gordon Moore Park.

The River Dragons have now lost six of their last seven games, breaking a five-game losing string on the Fourth of July at Illinois Valley and are now 1-2 in the second half of the league's split season and 10-19 overall.

The Horseshoes jumped out in front in the opening innings, getting a RBI single from Brayden Smith in the first and a solo homer by Kristian Sprawling in the second to take a 2-0 lead. Civic Memorial product Bryce Zupan cut the lead in half with a solo homer in the bottom of the second to make it 2-1, but Springfield got the run back in the fourth when Patrick Graham reached on a fielder's choice, with Sprawling forced at second but a run scoring to make it 3-1. Payton Matthews then delivered a RBI single and in the fifth, Connor Milton drew a bases-loaded walk to force home another run, putting the Horseshoes up 5-1.

In the home half of the fifth, a groundout to short by Kaden Byrne scored Chase Bloomer and in the sixth, a two-run single by Metro-East Lutheran's Erik Broekemeier cut the Springfield lead to 5-4. The Horseshoes expanded their lead in the seventh in Sprawling's second homer of the game and Graham scored on a passed ball, then in the eighth, Sprawling hit his third home run of the night, a three-run shot that gave Springfield a 10-4 advantage. A Jake O'Steen ground out to first scored a run for Alton in the bottom of the eighth and in the ninth, William Zareh hit into a force play at second to score the final run as the Lucky Horseshoes took their 11-5 win.

R.J. LaRocco had a big day at the plate for the Dragons with four hits, while Broekemeier had a hit and two RBIs, Zupan delivered a hit and RBI and both O'Steen and Byrne had RBIs. Luigi Albano-Dito had the start on the mound and was also tagged with the loss, going 3.2 innings and giving up four runs, three earned, on seven hits, walking three and striking out three, while Dimitri Ivetic threw 2.1 innings, allowing a run on three hits, walking two and fanning three, Scott Detweiler threw two-thirds of an inning, allowing two runs on two hits while fanning one and J.T. Miller pitched the final 2.1 innings, allowing four runs on only one hit while walking four and striking out three.

The River Dragons and Lucky Horseshoes conclude their two-game series Thursday night in a 6:35 p.m. start at Lloyd Hopkins Field, then Alton face the Danville Dans in a home-and-home set, the first game in Danville Friday night at 7 p.m. and the return game in Alton Saturday night at 6:35. The River Dragons travel to face the Quincy Gems in a doubleheader on Sunday, the two games stating at 5 and 7:30 p.m., then after an off-day on Monday, start a four-game home stand July 11 against the O'Fallon, Mo., Hoots, face the Jackson, Tenn., Rockabillys July 12, host the Cape Catfish of Cape Girardeau, Mo., July 13 and conclude the home stand July 14 against the Clinton, Ia., LumberKings. All games start at 6:35 p.m.

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