RANTOUL - The Alton Post 126 American Legion baseball season came to an end on Friday evening, Aug. 1, 2025, as the Legionnaires were no-hit by Rock Island Post 200 pitcher Namarion Coleman, who walked only two and struck out four in helping Rock Island go on to a 5-0 win over the Legionnaires in the Illinois state tournament at Rantoul.
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The Post 126 season ended at 28-12, and was a highly successful season, with wins in the District 22 playoffs, and a come-from-behind win over the Aviston Post 1239 Express to win the Fifth Division tournament. Alton won its first game at state, but lost their next two games, and were eliminated.
Rock Island scored all the runs they would need in the bottom of the second, starting with back-to-back lead-off singles by Aiden Terronez and Gavin Wilburn. Jackson Bennett then tried a sacrifice bunt, and reached on an error by the pitcher, loading the bases. Chase Curry walked to force home Terronez to make it 1-0, and after a pair of strikeouts, Gavin Awbrey delivered the big blow, a bases clearing triple to the deepest part of the park in straightaway center, scoring three runs, but Awbrey was thrown out at the plate trying to stretch it into an inside-the-park grand slam, leaving Rock Island to take a 4-0 lead.
Post 200 got the additional run in the home half of the third, starting when Alex Churchill reached when a fly ball to left was dropped for an error, and went to second on a Will Bowers single. A bunt single by Terronez loaded the bases once again, and Wilburn drew a walk to force home Churchill to make it 5-0. Logan Bogard, who started on the mound for Post 126, struck out the side to end the inning.
Meanwhile, Coleman was pitching incredibly well, walking the first batter of the game, but got a double play and a ground out to end the inning. He also walked the lead-off batter in the second, but then proceeded to retire the last 18 batters consecutively to earn the shutout win 5-0, and eliminate the Legionnaires.
Bogard also pitched a complete game on the mound, but was charged with the loss, allowing five unearned runs on nine hits, walking four and striking out seven.
The Legionnaires end the season at 28-12, with Rock Island moving on to the loser's bracket final against either Palos Heights or Danville in an elimination game on Saturday, with the winner moving on the Sunday's championship series against the Palos Heights-Danville winner. The state champions advances to the Great Lakes regional in Carol Stream, with the regional champions going on to the 100th Anniversary Legion World Series Aug. 13-18 in Shelby, N.C.
