ALTON - The Alton Post 126 junior American Legion baseball team came back from a 7-2 deficit with a four-run fifth inning to cut the lead to 7-6, but the Eagles Elite-Gray team from Bethalto pushed across single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to take a 9-6 win over the junior Legionnaires in a baseball game played Wednesday evening at Lloyd Hopkins Field at Gordon Moore Park.
The junior Legionnaires are now 3-4 in their last seven games going into the final month of their season, and into the District 22, Fifth Division, and Illinois State postseason tournaments.
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Both teams traded runs in the first to start the game, then Bethalto once in the second and three times in the third to take a 5-1 lead before Post 126 countered with a single run in the last half of the third to cut the deficit to 5-2.
The Eagles then scored twice in the fourth before Alton came up with four runs in the fifth to cut the lead to 7-6.
Bethalto then pushed across single runs in the sixth and seventh to clinch the 9-6 win.
Camden Siebert and Reece Girth both led Alton with a pair of hits and RBIs each, while Drake Champlin and William Frasier, Jr. each had a hit.
Dillan Cowan struck out four while on the mound for the junior Legionnaires, while Eli Lawrence fanned three, Devon Barboza struck out two and Frasier fanned one.
Alton begins the final month of the summer season with a doubleheader against both the Bethalto teams Saturday at the Bethalto Sports Complex, with games starting at 10 a.m. and 12 noon.
The junior Legionnaires then host back-to-back games at Lloyd Hopkins Field, playing Tuesday against East St. Louis and Wednesday against the Eagles Elite A team, with both games starting at 6 p.m. Post 126 then plays on the road July 9 against Troy in a 10 a.m. start, then play two games at Breese July 10, against Breese Gray at 11 a.m., then against Harrisburg at 2 p.m. followed by a home game July 12 against Troy at 6 p.m. before hosting the District 22 junior All-Star Game in a 6 p.m. starting July 13.
The District 22 tournament is set for Valmeyer July 14-17, after which Alton plays Jerseyville in a doubleheader on the road at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The Fifth Division tournament will be at Steeleville July 22-24 and the state tournament will be hosted by Aviston July 28-31.
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