STEELEVILLE - Alton Post 126's senior American Legion baseball team lost two of three games in a Fourth of July tournament in Steeleville, winning over Orient Post 1961 by forfeit 7-0, but losing identical games of 6-1 to both Orient and host Steeleville Post 480.
The Legionnaires have now lost six of their last 10 games and fall to 13-10 on the season, with three regular-season games remaining on their schedule.
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Alton won the first scheduled game over Orient by the 7-0 forfeit score, as Orient was unable to field nine players for the game. In the second game, Post 1961 scored three runs in both the first and fourth innings to take a 6-0 lead, but the Legionnaires scored a run in the home half of the fifth to create the final score of 6-1 for Post 1961.
Alton was held to four hits in the game, with Ryan Lowis coming up with two of the hits, and both John Kunz and Tate Powell having the other hits. Lowis started on the mound and was tagged with the loss, going 3.1 innings on the mound, allowing four runs, two earned, on five hits, walking none and striking out eight, while Kunz threw the final 2.1 innings, giving up two earned runs on two hits, walking two and fanning four.
In the game against Post 480, Alton scored a run in the top of the first to go ahead 1-0, but Steeleville tied the game with a run in the bottom of the second. Post 480 then scored five unanswered runs --- three in the fifth and two in the sixth --- to take the 6-1 win.
Lowis had a hit and Post 126's only RBI of the day, while Kunz, Hayden Schepers, Jayce Steinkuehler, Nolan Bowsker, and Powell had five other hits. Landon Sitze was the starting pitcher, and went 5.2 innings, being tagged with the loss, and allowing six runs, three earned, on five hits, walking four and striking out nine. Kunz got the final out of the sixth inning, allowing no runs on one hit, walking none and fanning one.
The Legionnaires are now 13-10 and wind up the regular season this week, hosting Jerseyville Post 492 Monday at Lloyd Hopkins Field in Gordon Moore Park in an 8 p.m. start, then play at Trenton Post 778's Gators Tuesday in a 5:30 p.m. start at Trenton City Park, then end the regular season at home against Glen Carbon Post 439 Wednesday at 6 p.m.
