Legionnaires Drop Both Ends Of Indiana Doubleheader

ALTON - The senior Alton Post 126 American Legion baseball team dropped a doubleheader against teams from Indiana on Saturday evening, giving up its most number of runs this season, in losing to Rockport, Ind. 20-3, then failing to Wayne Newton Post 346 of Terre Haute, Ind. 8-5 in eight innings,, in games played at Lloyd Hopkins Field in Gordon Moore Park.

The losses put the Legionnaires down to 7-9 on the season, as the team starts heading towards the postseason, which begins in mid-July with the District 22 playoffs.

In the first game against Rockport, the Legionnaires jumped to a 3-0 lead after the top of the first inning, but after that, it was all Rockport, who scored six runs in the first, seven in the second, four in the third, and three in the fourth, which terminated the game, due to the 15-run rule.

Carson Bristow had a hit and RBI for Alton, while Logan Bogard had the only other hit in the game. Scott Bartow was the starting pitcher, and was charged with the loss, going 1.2 innings, giving up 13 runs, nine earned, on 11 hits, walking one and striking out one, then Andrew Nation pitched 1.1 innings, allowing four runs, one earned, on four hits, walking two and fanning one, and Eli Lawrence pitched the final inning, giving up three unearned runs on three hits, walking one and striking out three.

In the game against Terre Haute, Newton Post 346 took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Legionnaires came back to tie the game 2-2 in the third. Post 126 scored a single run in the fourth to go ahead 3-2, and both teams traded runs in the sixth to keep Alton ahead 4-3. Terre Haute then scored twice in the top of the seventh to take a 5-4 lead, with Post 126 scoring a single run to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings, but Terre Haute scored three times in the top of the eighth to get the win over Alton 8-5.

Austin Rathgeb had two hits, including a home run, and three RBIs for the Legionnaires, while Nolan Parker had two hits and a RBI, and both Marcus Payne and Logan Bogard each had a hit. Will Frasier was the starting pitcher, and worked six innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out four, while Payne pitched the final two innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits, walking two and fanning three.

The Legionnaires play the same two teams on Sunday at home, taking on Post 346 from Terre Haute at 9 a.m., then going up against Rockport again at 1130 a.m., then return to District 22 play this coming week, hosting Marissa Post 172 on Tuesday at 8 p.m, then traveling to Smithton for a game Wednesday night at 6 p.m., play at Danville Post 210 next Friday, June 28, in a 6 p.m first pitch, then play at the revived Edwardsville Post 199 team in a doubleheader Sunday, June 30, with the first game starting at 2 p.m.

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