Brueckner, Ducey Both Have Three Hits, Grafford Strikes Out Five, Junior Legionnaires Defeat Southwestern  

BRIGHTON - Miles Brueckner had three hits and three RBIs, while Donavan Ducey had three hits and two RBIs, and Landon Grafford struck out five while on the mound, as Alton Post 126's under-17 navy junior American Legion baseball team bounced back from a pair of losses Sunday to take an 18-6 win over the Piasa Southwestern summer team Monday evening at Schneider Park in Brighton.

The junior Legionnaires bounced back nicely from a 2-3 weekend at the Wheaton Post 268 Fourth of July tournament over the weekend in Carol Stream. Alton plays two more games in their regular season before beginning their postseason campaign later this week.

Post 126 and Southwestern traded single runs in the first, with Alton scoring three times in the top of the second to go ahead 4-1. The Piasa Birds countered with two runs each in the second and third to go ahead 5-4, but after a scoreless fourth, the Junior Legionnaires scored six times in the fifth to take a 10-5 lead. Southwestern scored once in the home half of the fifth, but Post 126 scored eight more times in the top of the sixth to take the 18-6 win, the game terminated because of the 10-run rule.

Brueckner led the junior Legionnaires with three hits and three RBIs, while Ducey contributed three hits and two RBIs, Brady Cheek had two hits and an RBI, Hayden Schepers had two hits, Aiden Flavio and Nolan Bowsher each had a hit and three RBIs apiece, and Luke Clouser. Grafford, and Jayce Steinkuehler all had a hit and RBI each.

Grafford stared on the mound, and was credited with the win, pitching four innings and allowed five runs, three earned, on two hits, walking four and striking out five, while Deacon Alm threw the last two innings, giving up an earned run on a hit, walking one and fanning one.

The junior Legionnaires conclude their regular season on Tuesday night with a doubleheader at Lloyd Hopkins Field in Gordon Moore Park, meeting Alton's under-15 red team at 6 p.m., then taking on Breese to finish up the regular season at 8 p.m. Alton then starts the postseason with the double elimination District 22 playoff July 10-13, with the higher seeded teams hosting games. The winner goes on to the Fifth Division tournament at Trenton Community Park July 17-20, and the junior Legionnaires will play in the Illinois state tournament July 24-27 at Lloyd Hopkins Field, by way of being the host team, thus gaining an automatic berth.

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