Young Legionnaires Split Two At Mike Bedard Tournament, Win Big Over Trenton

BREESE - The Alton under-15 junior American Legion baseball team split a pair of games on Sunday, June 22, 2025, at the Mike Bedard Tournament at Northside Park in Breese, winning big over Trenton Post 778 22-2, then lost to the Breese Junior Braves under-16 team 7-6 to complete their time in the tournament.

The split led to the young Legionnaires dropping three of four games in the tournament going into their annual game against the Post 126 under-17 navy team Monday night, June 23, 2025, at Lloyd Hopkins Field in Gordon Moore Park.

In the win over Trenton, Alton spotted the Gators a 1-0 lead, before scoring 12 runs in the first, and nine more in the second to go up 22-1. Trenton scored a run in the top of the third, but the game was halted after that, due to a 20-run rule.

Wyatt Harris led Alton with three hits and five RBIs, while Auggie Landuyt had three hits and four RBIs, Aiden Duncan came up with three hits and three RBIs, Clayton McCormack had two hits and two RBIs, Aiden Hayes had two hits and an RBI, both Dylan Vandiver and Cy Courtney had two hits each, and Will McCormick had a hit and two RBIs. Vandiver went two innings on the mound to pick up the win, allowing an earned run on three hits, walking two and striking out four, while Hayes pitched the third, allowing an unearned run without a hit, walking one and fanning two.

Against the Braves, Breese took an early 1-0 in the first, but the young Legionnaires tied the game in the second, then scored twice in the third to go up 3-1, extending the lead to 4-1 in the fifth and to 6-1 in in the top of the seventh. Breese rallied in the bottom of the seventh with six runs to take the 7-6 win.

Hayes led Post 126 with two hits and an RBI, while Landuyt had two hits, Zach Thornton had a hit and two RBIs, and both Chris Rayfield and Landuyt had a hit apiece. McCormack started on the mound, and was charged with the loss, going 6.2 innings, giving up seven runs, two earned, on eight hits, walking four and striking out six, while Harris finished up on the mound, allowing two hits.

The young Legionnaires meet the junior Legionnaires in their annual game Monday night at 6 p.m., then play a home game at the Bethalto Sports Complex Tuesday against Jerseyville in a 6 p.m. start, then play at Kirkwood, Mo., Thursday at 5:30 p.m., and play two at the BSC Friday and Saturday, against De Soto, Mo. Friday at 6 p.m., and against St. Peters, Mo., Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. After that, the young Legionnaires host Smithton at Lloyd Hopkins Field July 2 at 6 p.m., and play in the Wheaton Post 76 tournament Fourth of July weekend in Carol Stream, Ill, in suburban Chicago.

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