JERSEYVILLE - Dane Godar and Dagen Cordes each drove in two runs, and Logan Hickman struck out seven as Alton Post 126's under-16 red junior American Legion baseball team won its opening game of the Illinois state tournament with a 12-2 decision over top-seeded Danville Post 210 under-16 gold Friday morning at Jersey Community Middle School in Jerseyville.
The win puts the junior Legionnaires into the winners bracket final, where they will play Wheaton, Harrisburg, or the host Jerseyville team on Saturday, where the winner moves into the championship series on Sunday.
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The Legionnaires scored three times in the opening inning, then hit Danville with five runs in the fourth to go up 8-0, but Danville got two of the runs back in the home half to cut the lead to 8-2. Alton came right back with four runs in the top of the fifth to take the 12-2 win after the game was called, due to the 10-run rule.
Reese Bohlen led the way with two hits and a RBI for the junior Legionnaires, while both Godar and Cordes had a hit and two RBIs, Reid Murray, Joe Stephan, Drake Champlin, and Kadin Carlisle all had a hit and RBI each, and Ale Pilger also drove in a run.
Hickman started out on the mound, and was credited with the win, going 3.2 innings, giving up two runs on six hits, walking three and striking out seven, while Grant Ipanis went for 0.1 innings, getting the final out of the fourth inning, and Murray pitched in the fifth, allowing only one hit, walking one while striking out the side.
