ROXANA - Drake Champlin and Logan Hickman shared a perfect game on the mound, while Reid Murray had three RBIs as the Alton Post 126 under-16 red team won over the under-15 navy junior American Legion baseball team 13-0 in the finals of the Illinois District 22 junior baseball tournament Saturday afternoon at Roxana City Park.
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Both teams enjoyed tremendous success during the season, with the under-16 team coming up big when they needed to. The young Legionnaires, although eliminated, competed with flair and panache. In the end, the junior Legionnaires had more than enough to advance to the Fifth Division tournament this coming weekend.
“It’s been another amazing season with this group of players,” said Post 126 baseball coordinator and manager Doug Booten. “Great pitching, timely hitting and flawless defense. And what a way to finish the District 22 championship, with a combined perfect game by Drake Champlin and Logan Hickman.”
The junior Legionnaires started out with eight runs in the opening inning, then scored three more runs in the third and two in the fourth to end the game on the 10-run rule, with Hickman retired the young Legionnaires in order in the fifth to clinch the title and perfect game.
Alex Pilger led the way for the junior Legionnaires with three hits, while Kadin Carlilsle had two hits and a RBI, Murray ended up with a hit and three RBIs, Joe Stephan ended up with a hit and two RBIs, Hickman and Reese Bohlen had a hit and RBI each, Gavin Ipanis and Dane Godar both came up with hits, and Blake Rensing drove home a run.
Champlin and Hickman shared the perfect game on the mound for the junior Legionnaires, with Champlin striking our five, and Hickman fanning four. Tyler Powell got the start on the mound for the young Legionnaires, and worked 1.1 innings, and allowed eight runs on seven hits, while walking six. Riley Cox went 2.2 innings, giving up five runs, two earned, on five hits, walking one and fanning one.
The junior Legionnaires go on to the Fifth Division tournament, and play their opener against Breese on Thursday at Trenton Community Park. The Division tournament continues throughout the weekend, with the winner moving on to the Illinois state tournament July 24-28 at Jersey Community Middle School in Jerseyville.
Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
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