BELLEVILLE – Alton Post 126’s American Legion baseball team opened their District 22 season on Saturday with a doubleheader loss to Belleville Post 58 10-6 and 10-2 in Belleville.
The Legionnaires gave up seven runs in the fourth inning of the first game, then the Hilgards took a 6-1 lead after two innings in the second game and didn’t look back in going on to the doubleheader sweep.
In the opener, Belleville took a 3-0 lead with two runs in the first and one in the second before Alton scored a single run in the third. The Hilgards came up with seven runs in the fourth to take a 10-1 lead before the Legionnaires rallied with two in the fifth and three in the sixth, but could get no closer as Belleville took the first game win.
Brady Salzman had a big game at the plate for Alton with four hits and two RBIs, while Preston Schepers had a hit and two RBIs, Owen Macias and Bryce Higginbotham each had a hit and RBI and P. Kaylor also had a hit.
Blaine Lancaster struck out four on the mound for the Legionnaires, while Andrew Wieneke fanned one.
Belleville plated four runs in the first inning of the nightcap, then Alton countered with a run in the top of the seconds before the Hilgards scored twice in the home half to take a 6-1 lead. The Legionnaires scored a single run in the top of the fourth before Belleville scored once in the fifth and three more in the sixth to take the 10-2 win and the doubleheader sweep.
Wieneke had a hit and an RBI for Alton, while Salzman, C. Hailstone and Kaylor also had hits in the game. Hailstone, Higginbotham and C. Frensko all struck out two on the mound, while Macias fanned one.
Alton is now 1-2 on the season and will play next Thursday through Sunday in a tournament in Terre Haute, Ind. The Legionnaires will play on the road at Elsberry, Mo. June 23 and at Belleville June 24 before returning home to Lloyd Hopkins Field at Gordon Moore Park June 26 with a doubleheader against Imperial, Mo.
