BELLEVILLE – Jefferson City, Mo. Post 5 scored three times in the top of the eighth inning to break open a close game and went on to defeat Alton Post 126 5-2 in the semifinals of the Metro-East Firecracker American Legion baseball tournament Sunday morning at Whitey Herzog Field in Belleville.
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The loss snapped an eight-game winning streak for Alton, who had won all three games in Group A to advance to the semifinals, while Jeff City did the same in Group B.
The Legionnaires broke out on top in the home half of the first inning. Jayce Maag drew a walk to lead off the inning, and one out later, pitcher Cullen McBride also walked, and Ethan Kopsie was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Ryan Best then flew out to the second baseman, but Maag alertly tagged up and scored on the play to give Alton a 1-0 lead. A ground out ended the inning.
Jeff City tied the game in the top of the third, starting with a Drew Voss lead-off double. After a foul out to first and a strikeout, Josef Kellholz’s RBI double to right scored Voss and drew Jeff City level at 1-1. Two more walks loaded the bases, but McBride got a strikeout to end the inning, keeping the game tied.
Jeff City then went in front in the top of the fifth, starting with another lead-off double, this time by Jackson Voss, and two outs later, Justin Wood singled home Voss to give Post 5 the lead at 2-1. The Legionnaires tied it right back up in the home half, starting with a Maag single with one out, advancing to second on a Gage Booten ground out. McBride then helped himself with an RBI single to score Maag, tying the game at 2-2.
Alton had a chance to win it in the bottom of the seventh when, after the first two batters were retired, Booten singled, McBride drew a walk and Kopsie was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but a ground out ended the opportunity and forced extra innings.
Jeff City started their winning rally with one out in the eighth when Jack Shinkle reached on an infield single, and Gage Bax doubled to left. A Dawson Koch infield single scored Shinkle to put Post 5 ahead 3-2, then pinch-hitter Zach Davidson reached on an error, allowing courtesy runner Zach Voss and Koch to score making it 5-2. John Durrwachter, who came in relief of McBride in the eights, reached on an error, but Alton couldn’t score as Jeff City went on to their 5-2 win.
McBride pitched very well, going seven-and-a-third innings, giving up nine hits while striking out five, while Blake Terry went four innings and struck out three.
Jeff City went on to defeat Jackson, Mo. 3-2 to win the championship.
The Legionnaires, now 14-6 on the season, wind up their regular season with four straight District 22 games on the road, traveling to Highland on Tuesday, East St. Louis on Wednesday, Gillespie on Thursday and Belleville on Friday before starting the district playoffs July 14.
