AVISTON - Drake Champlin drove home what proved the be the game-winning run in the top of the eighth, then Logan Bogard drove home two more runs to provide insurance at Alton Post 126 went eight innings to defeat Shelby County Post 611 of Stewardson, Ill., 9-6 in both teams' opener of the Aviston Round Robin tournament Friday night at Aviston City Park.
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The Legionnaires bounced back very nicely from a 5-4, nine-inning loss to Highland the night before in a key District 22 game, and prevailed in a see-saw, back-and-forth game against Shelby County.
Dane Godar led off the game by reaching on an error by the first baseman, and two outs later, Kael Hester doubled home Godar to put Post 126 into the lead at 1-0. Champlin then delivered an RBI single to score Hester to make it 2-0 after one-half inning. In the second, Nolan Parker led off with a walk, stole second one out later, then scored on an RBI single by Godar to make it 3-0.
Shelby County came back to within 3-2 in the home half, starting with a lead-off single by Blake Mueller, who scored on Kaidyn Miller double to make it 3-1 for Alton, then Oliver Wascher singled home Miller to make it 3-2. Shelby County then tied the game in the third, with Jackson Gurgle reaching on a bunt single, was sacrificed to second by Stan Bridges, and scored when Mueller reached on a dropped third strike that got away for a wild pitch, Keegan Schultz, who had earlier walked, going to third. One out later, consecutive RBI singles by Kaden Keoberline and Wascher drove home a pair of runs to put Shelby County into the lead at 5-3.
Alton came to within 5-4 on the top of the fourth, when lead-off man Parker reached on an error, but was thrown out at second. Carsen Bristow then walked, Lucas Hartman was hit by a pitch, and Godar walked to load the bases. A Joe Stephan sacrifice fly to center, scoring Bristow, but there would be no further scoring. The Legionnaires went back in the fifth, starting with a walk to Champlin, and a hit by Bogard. Champlin going to third. Parker walked, but was forced at second by Bristow, Champlin scored on the play to tie the game 5-5, and a Hartman hit drove home Bogard to give Alton a 6-5 lead. Bristow forced at second.
Shelby County retied the game in the bottom of the sixth, with Kendall Morris singling, Connor Nowitzke drawing a walk, and Gurgle was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Morris was forced home by a walk to Schultz, tying the game a 6-6, with a ground out retiring the side.
Shelby County had a chance to win the game in he seventh, putting their two lead-off men on via Koeberline reaching on an error, and a Wascher base hit, a pair of infield pop-outs ended the inning. In the eighth, Stephan reached on an error by the second baseman, Ayden Calvert walked, and after a fielder's choice forced Stephan, Champlin singled home courtesy runner Alex Pilger to put Alton on top 7-6. The next batter, Bogard, doubled home both Champlin and Hester to make the score 9-6. Shelby County went down in order to preserve the win.
Both Champlin and Bogard had two hits and two RBIs each for the Legionnaires, while Hester and two hits and a RBI, both Godar and Hartman had a hit and RBI each, and Stephan and Bristow drove in a run each. Champlin started on the mound and went for 5.1 innings, allowing six earned runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out six, while Marcus Payne went the final 2.2 innings giving up only one hit and no runs, walking one and fanning two.
