Alton Runs to 6-2 Win Over Burlington

Three Alton pitchers limited the Bees to six hits and the River Dragons cruised to a 6-2 win sweeping the two-game weekend series.

Alex Redman (1-0) went five innings for the win.  The lefty gave up both Burlington scores on five hits.  He struck out two and walked three.  Brady Salzman and Carson Richardson shut the Bees down over the final four frames.  They allowed no runs on one hit.

Burlington struck first in the bottom of the third.  Center fielder Lincoln Riley opened with a walk.  Third baseman Jared Hackbarth grounded into a fielder's choice.  He went to second on Kevin Santiago's line single to left.  First baseman Ryan Grace collected one of his two RBI with a solid single to right and the Bees were up 1-0.

Alton wasted no time tying it up in the top of the fourth.  The Dragons Troy Johnson led off with a walk, one of only two issued by Bees starter Jared Townsend.  Johnson stole second.  An out later he stole third, then scored on Eddie King's double to the right field gap.

The Bees retook the lead in the fifth on a Kevin Santiago double, a Marcos Sanchez ground out and Grace's sacrifice fly. That would be all of the scoring for Burlington.

The River Dragons grabbed the lead for good in the top of the sixth when a single, ground out, triple, single, wild pitch, single against Jared Townsend gave them three runs.  The Iowa Western lefty had been solid to that point.  He had only allowed one hit and the two runs.  He struck out six and walked only two in his five and a third.

Alton would tack on one more score in the seventh and one more in the eighth.  The Bees could muster but one hit over the last four innings.

Grace had two hits and the sac fly on a 2-3 day.  Santiago also had two hits, a walk and a run scored.

The Bees close their current four-game home stand against Normal Monday night.  First pitch is 6:30.