TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Alton Post 126's senior American Legion baseball team lost back-to-back games for the first time this season, falling twice at the Midwest Invitational tournament at South Vigo High School in Terre Haute, Ind.
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The Legionnaires lost to Washington, Mo., Post 218 7-4 in their tournament opener, then lost to John E. Heyen Post 501 of West Terre Haute in their second game late Friday afternoon.
The Legionnaires fell to 10-3 on the season, with one game remaining in the group stage on Saturday. The tournament is set to conclude on Sunday.
IN the first game against Washington, Alton took the early lead with single runs in the second and third innings. In the second, with one out, both Drake Champlin and Logan Bogard drew walks, and Nolan Parker singled to left, with Champlin scoring on an error by the left fielder, Bogard going to third, and Parker taking second, then a walk to Kadin Carlisle with two out loaded the bases, but a fly out ended the inning.
In the third, Joe Stephan led off with a double down the left field line, Kael Hester walked, and Ayden Calvert singled to load the bases. Champlin flew out to left, with Stephan tagging up and scoring on the play, but Hester was thrown out at third for a double play. A groundout ended the third.
Washington tied the game in the top of the fourth, starting with a lead-off single by Ben Nieder, who was forced at second by Lane Mallinckrodt. A double by Ben Gelinas put runners on second and third, with an infield single by Andrew Elbert loading the bases. A sacrifice fly to right by Colton Carrier scored Mallinckrodt to make it 2-1 for Alton, and Kaleb Hoss doubled home Gelinas and Elbert to give Washington a 3-2 lead.
The Legionnaires tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth, starting with one out. Hester singled, Calvert was intentionally walked, and Champlin came up with the RBI single to score Hester, but Calvert was thrown out at third. Washington took back the lead in the top of the sixth, starting with one out singles by Gelinas, Elbert, and Carrier to load the bases. Hoss singled to center to score Gelinas, putting Washington up 4-3, and a Brody O'Hanlon sacrifice fly to center scored Elbert to make it 5-3. Marcus Payne came in to pitch, and on a pickoff attempt at second, Carrier stole home to make it 6-3, and Lane Kohlbusch singled home Hoss to make it 7-3 in favor of Washington.
In the bottom of the sixth, Carsen Bristow and Lucas Hartman led off with singles, a walk to Dane Godar loaded the bases, and Stephan's grounder back to the pitcher scored Bristow to make the score 7-4, but it would be all the scoring, as Washington took the win.
Champlin had a hit and two RBIs for Post 126, while Stephan had a hit and RBI, and Hester, Calvert, Parker, Bristow, and Hartman all had hits. Ryan Lowis was charged with the loss on the mound, going 5.2 innings and allowing seven earned runs on nine hits, walking one and striking out one. Payne pitched the other 0,1 inning, allowing only one hit, walking none and fanning none.
In the second game of the day, Post 501 took the lead in the third, starting when Ryan Cobb reached after being hit by a pitch, went to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a pop fly single by Jayce Nesbitt to make the score 1-0. Post 501 doubled its lead in the fourth on a solo homer by Colton Enyeart over the left field fence to make it 2-0.
The Legionnaires cut the lead in half to 2-1 in the bottom of the fourth, on a one-out double by Calvert, and a RBI single by Bogard to score Calvert. In the top of the fifth, Post 501 extended its lead on a one-out walk to Dawson Mundy, who went to second on a dropped fly ball to left hit by Brandon Dailey. Nesbitt singled home Mundy to increase the lead, and in the top of the fifth, Reese Wilbur led off with a double to left, and scored when a Enyeart fly ball was dropped for an error by the left fielder to make it 4-1.
In the top of the sixth, Cobb and Mundy led off with walks, and two outs later, Cobb scored on an Alan Ramirez single to right, with Mundy being thrown out at the plate. The Legionnaires were retired in the bottom of the sixth with Post 501 taking the 5-1 win.
Calvert had three hits for Alton, with Bogard having a hit and the only RBI of the game, while Stephan and Parker had the other hits. Payne started on the mound, and was charged with the loss, going five innings and allowing four runs, two earned, on seven hits, walking one and striking out five. Hester pitched in the sixth inning, giving up an earned run on a hit, walking two and fanning one.
The Legionnaires wind up the group stage of the tournament on Saturday, with the tournament set to end on Sunday. Post 126 then plays Marissa on Monday evening at Lloyd Hopkins Field in Gordon Moore Park at 8 p.m., host Eureka, Mo, Wednesday night at 8 p.m., and plays at Highland Thursday evening at Glik Park in Highland in a 7 p.m. start.
