ALTON - Jerseyville Post 492's junior American Legion baseball team forced a second game in the Illinois State junior tournament 6-3 to force a second game in the championship series, but Danville Post 210 rallied back to win the second game 11-1, and the Illinois state championship Sunday afternoon, July 27, 2025, at Lloyd Hopkins Field in Gordon Moore Park.
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Jerseyville eliminated Alton Post 126's under-17 Navy team on Saturday in the loser's bracket final to advance to the final, with Alton finishing third in the tournament.
In the first game, Jerseyville took a 3-0 lead with three runs in the bottom of the first, with Danville pulling back to within 3-1 with a single run in the top of the second. Post 492 scored three more runs in the bottom of the fifth to go ahead 6-1, with Post 210 scoring twice in the top of the sixth to make the final 6-3.
Graham Vanausdoll led Jerseyville with two hits and three RBIs, while Brady Maxeiner had two hits, and both Issac Heckethal and Brody Short had a hit and RBI apiece. Shane Lamer went all the way on the mound to gain the win, allowing three runs, two earned on six hits, walking two and striking out three.
Danville jumped out to a big early lead in the second game, scoring twice in the second and fourth, and three times in the third to go ahead 7-0, with Jerseyville scoring their only run in the top of the fifth to cut the lead to 7-1. Danville scored their final four runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the 11-1 win and the Legion state championship, the game terminated by the 10-run rule.
Lamer had three hits for Jerseyville, while Jude Jones had the only other hit, and Trevor Tucker drove home the only run. Vanausdoll started on the mound, and only went 1.2 innings, not allowing a hit or a run, walked none, and struck out none, while Short pitched 3.1 innings, and was charged with the loss, giving up seven runs, six earned, on seven hits, walking three and striking out one. Brogan Kanaliakan pitched in the sixth, but did not retire a batter, allowing three earned runs without a hit, walking none and fanning none, and Logan Dabbs also came in during the sixth, and also didn't retire a batter, allowing an unearned run on a hit, walking none and striking out none.
Danville wins the state championship with a final record of 35-4, while Jerseyville is the 2025 state runner-up.
Alton Under-17 Navy Junior Legion Baseball Team Loses To Danville and Jerseyville In State Tournament, Ends Highly Successful Season
ALTON - The under-17 Navy Junior American Legion baseball team for Alton Post 126 saw its highly successful season end on Saturday with a pair of losses in the Illinois state tournament. losing to Danville Post 210 in the winner's bracket final 7-0, then lost the loser's bracket final to Jerseyville Post 492 13-5 at Lloyd Hopkins Field in Gordon Moore Park.
The Navy team was eliminated with the loss to Jerseyville, but in the middle of the season, had an incredible streak, where the team scored over 100 runs in a string that often saw Alton win by lopsided margins, with the games ending in the third or fourth innings, due to the 15-run rule.
In the loss to Danville, Post 210 scored twice in the top of the fifth to break up a scoreless tie in a pitcher's dual, then break open the game with five more runs in the top of the seventh to take the win and advance to the championship series.
Jayce Steinkuehler, Evan Spurgeon, Logan Bromaghim, and Brady Cheek had the hits for Alton, while Tyler Powell started on the mound, and was charged with the loss, going five innings, and allowed two unearned runs on seven hits, walking one and striking out six. Aiden Flavio pitched the final two innings and gave up five runs, three earned, on only one hit, walking one and fanning three.
Jerseyville advanced to the loser's bracket final by holding off a rally by Carol Stream Post 76's Thunder, taking an 8-6 win, and faced Alton in the loser's bracket final. In the game against Post 126, Jerseyville scored five runs in the top of the first to take the lead, but Alton rallied to scored twice in the home half to cut the lead to 5-2. Post 492 then scored twice in the fifth, once in the sixth, and put the game away with five more runs in the seventh, while Post 126 could only score twice in the bottom of the sixth, and once in the seventh to give Jerseyville the 13-5 win.
Brady Maxeiner led Jerseyville with three hits, while Graham Vanausdoll had two hits and two RBIs, both Issac Hackethal and Trevor Taylor had a hit and two RBIs each, Shane Lamer and Hudson Schannot each had a hit and RBI apiece, Carson Nevlin had a hit, and Jude Jones drove in a run. Jones also started on the mound, and was credited with the win, going 5.2 innings, and allowed four earned runs on three hits, walking six and striking out six. Nevlin pitched the final 1.1 innings, giving up an earned run on a hit, walking one and fanning none.
Post 126 was led by Spurgeon's two hits and RBI, while Donavan Ducey and Flavio had the other hits, and Chase Collman, Landon Grafford, Cheek, and Nolan Bowsher all had RBIs. Bromaghim started on the mound, and was charged with the loss, failing to get a batter out, while allowing five runs, three earned, on two hits, walking three and striking out none, Grafford came on in relief, and pitched five innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits, walking three and striking out four, and Logan Sherman pitched the final two innings, conceding five unearned runs of five hits, walking one and fanning three.
Alton finishes their season in third place in the state.Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
