ALTON - The Alton Post 126 American Legion baseball team had a big day offensively, pounding out a total of 29 runs on 27 hits as the Legionnaires swept a doubleheader over Carmi 21-1 and 8-2 to conclude the spring season at Lloyd Hopkins Field at Gordon Moore Park in Alton on Saturday afternoon.
Alton scored in all four of their at-bats in the first game, terminated by the 10-run rule, and came up with six runs in the bottom of the sixth of the second game to take the sweep. The hitting couldn't have come at a better time for the Legionnaires.
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"The best part about the sweep was that our bats finally came alive," Alton manager Doug Booten said. "We had good situational hitting, and a good approach at the plate. We haven't been doing that, and we kind of turned it around today."
Alton also got good pitching, especially in the first game, as Brady Salzman tossed a complete game, allowing only four hits in his five innings of work, with only an unearned run allowed. Booten also gave credit to catcher Preston Schepers as well.
"Let's give credit to Preston today for dong a great job for calling the games for our pitchers this spring," Booten said. "It was a good all-around effort today."
The most important part of the sweep was that it was a great feeling for Booten and his team to be back at the ballpark playing.
"It was," Booten said. "We were rained out last weekend, but the weather today was great. It's just great to be back at the ballpark today."
In the first game, Alton scored nine times in the first to set the tone, then added three more runs in the second, six in the third and three in the fourth, while Carmi scored their only run in the top of the third. C. Hailstone led the way with four hits and six RBIs, while Salzman, Schepers, C. Frensko, Blaine Lancaster and A. Callovini all had two hits, and both John Durrwachter and Frank Goss had one hit.
Durrwachter, Lancaster and Callovini all drove home three runs each, while Salzman had two RBIs and both Schepers and Frensko also had RBIs.
Salzman walked two and struck out five in recording the complete game for the Legionnaires.
In the nightcap, Alton took a 1-0 lead in the home half of the first inning, but Carmi scored twice in the second to take the lead. The Legionnaires tied the game in the bottom of the fourth before their six-run explosion in the bottom of the sixth gave the second game and the sweep to Alton.
Hailstone again led the way by going three-for-four, while Goss had a pair of hits and B. Smith, Salzman, Schepers, P. Kaylor, Andrew Wieneke and Callovini all had single hits. Schepers and Goss both drove home a pair of runs, while Kaylor, Wieneke and Callovini all had single RBIs.
Lancaster started on the mound, and threw two innings, giving up both Carmi runs on two hits while walking four and striking out three. Wieneke pitched the final five innings to record the win, allowing three hits while walking one and fanning eight.
Alton now takes a break for the high school baseball season, and will resume in either early or mid-June with their regular schedule, and Booten is looking ahead to the regular summer season.
"It's been a weird year already," Booten said, "but I'm looking forward to traditional American Legion baseball this summer."
In addition, Post 126 has also formed a relationship with the Alton River Dragons baseball club, who will play their inaugural season this year in the collegiate-age Prospects League at Lloyd Hopkins Field.
"We've already developed a relationship with the River Dragons," Booten said, "and we're looking forward to sharing the field with them this summer."
