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

Game 8: Moline 2, Danville 1

 

SATURDAY, JULY 30

Game 9: Valmeyer vs. Paris, 11 a.m. (Clinton High School; loser eliminated)

Game 10: Danville vs. Charleston, 11 a.m. (Forsyth Park; loser eliminated)

Game 11: Alton vs. Moline, 1:30 p.m. (Forsyth Park; winner advances to final)

Game 12: Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 loser, 4 p.m. (Forsyth Park; loser eliminated)

Game 13: Game 9 winner vs. Game 11 winner, 6:30 p.m. (Forsyth Park)

 

SUNDAY, JULY 31

Game 14: Game 12 winner vs. Game 13 winner, 11 a.m. (Final at Forsyth Park)

Game 15: Game 12 winner vs. Game 13 winner (if necessary, at Forsyth Park)

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