VALMEYER – Alton American Legion Post 126's junior team split a pair of games in the Illinois American Legion District 22 tournament in Valmeyer Saturday.
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The junior Legionnaires managed to get by Highland 1 6-4 in their opener Saturday morning, but dropped a 2-1 decision to host Valmeyer to be relegated to the loser's bracket.
The tournament got under way Friday with Highland 1 defeating Highland 2 6-0 in a game played at Glik Park in Highland while Valmeyer defeated Belleville 3-1; Belleville subsequently withdrew from the tournament.
In other games Saturday, Belleville's withdrawal gave Highland 2 a forfeit win before Highland 1 eliminated Highland 2 by a 4-2 score.
Against Highland 1, Post 126 took a 2-0 lead through two innings before Highland scored four in the top of the third; Post 126 countered with three in the bottom of the third to take the lead back at 5-4 before scoring a solo run in the fourth and holding off Highland to advance.
Wesley Laaker went 1-for-2 with a double and run scored for Alton in the win; Ryan Best was 1-for-3 with a run scored, Gage Booten 2-for-2 with two runs scored, Cullen McBride 1-for-3 with a RBI, Griffin Bianco 1-for-3, Dylan LaHue 1-for-1 with a RBI, Ben Mossman 1-for-2 and Rylee Bernot and Bryce Parrish a run scored each. Laaker threw 4.2 innings for the win, striking out six and giving up a hit while Bernot tossed 2.1 innings, striking out five.
Against Valmeyer, the hosts scored in the first and third innings while Alton scored in the fourth but couldn't get past Valmeyer for the win. Best went 1-for-3 with the only run scored for Alton, while McBride was 1-for-3, Owen Stendebach 1-for-3 and Bernot 1-for-3 on the day. Adam Stilts went the distance in taking the loss, striking out 12 for Alton.
Alton will take on Highland 1 at noon today in an elimination game, with the winner facing Valmeyer for the championship at 2 p.m.; should a second game be needed, it will be played at 5 p.m. Monday, with the winner advancing to the junior Fifth Division tournament beginning Friday in Carbondale, with the Fifth Division winner moving into the state junior tournament in Salem July 27-30.
