BELLEVILLE - Zach Thornton had two hits for Alton Post 126's junior American Legion baseball team. At the same time, both Kaden Witsken and Triston Ferguson struck out four each on the mound. Still, in the end, the Missouri Mariners Gold under-16 ball club from St. Charles County hit Post 126 with six runs in the sixth inning to take a 10-6 win over the junior Legionnaires in the second game of the Play 9 tournament late Friday afternoon at Belleville West High School.
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The loss ended a very modest two-game winning streak for Post 126, which saw their record go to 13-8-1 on the season.
Alton scored twice in the bottom of the second to go ahead 2-0, but the Mariners scored twice in both the fourth and fifth innings to take a 4-2 lead, then added on six runs in the sixth to extend the lead to 10-2. The Junior Legionnaires rallied in the home half with four runs, but the rally eventually came up short, as the Mariners won the six-inning game 10-6.
Thornton led the way for Post 126 with two hits and two RBIs, while Fletcher Groppel had a hit and two RBIs, and Max Laird, Witsken, and Ferguson also had hits. Witsken charted on the mound, going four innings, and was charged with the loss, allowing three earned runs on three hits, walking four and striking out four. Ferguson pitched the final two innings and gave up seven unearned runs on five hits, walking two and fanning four.
The junior Legionnaires finish up the regular season at home at Lloyd Hopkins Field in Gordon Moore Park, meeting Jerseyville Post 492 on Monday, and Patoka Post 543 on Tuesday, with both games starting at 6 p.m. The District 22 playoffs are set for July 9-12 at the various parks around the District in a double-elimination tournament.
