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JERSEYVILLE - Pitcher Gavin Ipanis threw a no-hitter, striking out seven, while Kadin Carlisle had three RBIs as the Alton Post 126 under-16 red American Legion baseball team concluded its season as Illinois state champions in the 7-0 win over host Jerseyville Post 492 in the finals of the state tournament Sunday afternoon at Jersey Community Middle School in Jerseyville.
The boys are Auto Butler Male Athletes of the Month for Alton.
The win finished a tremendously successful season for the junior Legionnaires, who also won the District 22 and Fifth Division titles on their way to the state championship over the hosts, who defeated Harrisburg in the losers bracket final to advance to Sunday's final.
"What a game on the mound from Gavin Ipanis," said Post 126 manager Doug Booten. "To throw a no-hitter in the championship game, it's just phenomenal. But this group is so special It was a whole team effort all summer. I'm so proud of them."
Post 126 scored the only two runs they would really need in the opening inning, then added one run in the fifth, three more in the sixth, and one final run in the seventh to take the win and sweep the entire state tournament, not losing a game along the way.
Alex Pilger had two hits for Alton, while Carlisle had a hit and three RBIs, Drake Champlin had a hit and drove in two runs, and Joe Stephan came up with a hit and RBI. Ipanis went all the way on the mound, walking three and fanning seven in his no-hitter to clinch the title for the junior Legionnaires.
The season ends for Alton as the state champions, as there is no further competition past the state championship tournament. It was very much a highly successful season for the team, who played well all season, and took first or second in many of the regular season tournaments the team entered, along with playing against high-quality competition all summer.
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