Hoots Drop Win Streak in Loss to Alton

Meyer and Maloney collect RBIs

Following a lengthy three hour rain delay, the O’Fallon Hoots (8-8) finally took on the Alton River Dragons (8-9). In what was originally scheduled as a Father’s Day doubleheader, the two teams played just one, seven inning game, with Alton coming out on top 6-3, snapping the Hoots’s six-game win streak. 

Inside the Box Score

• Jack Meyer and Mike Maloney both recorded an RBI, with Maloney also nabbing a hit.
• Ethan Rossow had the only other O’Fallon hit.
• Kaden Joggerst threw an immaculate inning in relief, needing just nine pitches to strike out the side.

How It Happened

• Alton immediately got to work in the top of the first. Leadoff man Dylan Mass drew a walk to reach base, and moved to second with a stolen base. Two batters later, Bryce Zupan hit a double to score Mass. Erik Broekemeier singled to move Zupan over a base, and Eli Young sent a long flyout to deep right field, providing Zupan enough time to jog 90 feet and make the score 2-0 in favor of the River Dragons. 
• O’Fallon would get a run back in the second. With one out, Michael O’Conor reached first thanks to a walk, and then Mike Maloney ripped a double into right-center field that got past the Alton outfielder. O’Conor turned on the afterburners and was able to score from first and cut the deficit to 2-1. 
• That lead went back up to two in the top of the fourth. With the bases loaded, nine-hole hitter Tyler Martin laid down a bunt. Hoots pitcher Owen Schexnaydre gathered it and elected to flip to Michael Long at first for the out while Bryer Arview crossed home, giving his River Dragons a 3-1 lead.
• More Alton offense came in fifth. Zupan hit a one-out single, and Broekemeier almost sent a two-run blast over the wall, but instead came a few feet short. It was still good enough for a triple and RBI. Arview hit a sacrifice fly a few batters later to score Broekemeier, increasing the Alton lead to 5-1. 
• Fortunately for O’Fallon, they were able to get those runs back in the bottom half of the inning. As Ethan Rossow and Maloy Heaghney stood on second and first respectively, Zach Beatty hit into what would likely have been a double-play, but Zupan threw the ball away, letting Beatty reach safely and Rossow to score. Jack Meyer then hit a sacrifice fly into right field and Heaghney tagged up from third, barely avoided the throw to the plate, and scored another Hoots’s run, putting the score at 5-3. 
• Seeing their lead cut down to two, the River Dragons got back to work in the top of sixth. Jake O’Steen doubled to start the inning, and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Martin singled then to score O’Steen and set the score at 6-3.

Next Up

The Hoots get a few days off before resuming action again on Wednesday, June 21, hosting the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m., and coverage can be found at ofallonhoots.com, as well as the team’s Twitter (@ofallonbaseball) and Instagram (ofallonhoots).