Trenton's county league team lost a pair of games last week, now standing at 5-4 in the CCBL standings behind Aviston (6-1), Centralia (5-1), and Carlyle (6-2). Breese and Bartelso are both in playoff position as well.

On Wednesday night, Trenton lost an offensive show, 13-11, to Aviston. After falling behind 7-0, Trenton scored ten runs over the second, third, and fourth innings to take a 10-9 lead. Aviston tied things up in the fifth, then plated two in the seventh and another in the eighth. Trenton rallied in the ninth but managed just one run. Jeff Klein and Ryan Spicer drove in two runs each for Trenton, and Blake Zurliene had three hits and an rbi. Klein also had three hits on the night. Nick Dunning, Matt Hellmann, and Jay Wellen all drove in runs for Trenton. Jared Davis doubled and tripled for Trenton.

Todd Harpstrite drove in three runs for Aviston.

On Sunday, Trenton was flat in a 7-2 loss to Beckemeyer, who picked up just their second win of the season. Litteken took the mound loss, while driving in two runs on two hits. Davis also had two hits for Trenton.

Coming off a one-run victory over 23rd District rival Centralia, Trenton American Legion Post 778's baseball team split four games in the Gator Classic, advancing to the semifinals before bowing to Belleville, 5-2 on Sunday.

Belleville went on to beat Murphysboro 9-1 in Monday night's championship.

The tournament, originally scheduled for three days, expanded to four when rain shortened the crucial first day.

This year's tournament included 12 teams for the first time, with the winners of three pools and one wild-card advancing to the championship round. Trenton was the wild-card winner, after posting a 2-1 record in pool play.

Trenton 5, Salem 2

Blake Zurliene homered and drove in two runs for Trenton in an opening day win over Salem. Jameson Rakers was the mound winner. Ryan Spicer and Dustin Pendegraft had two hits each for Trenton, and Matt Osborne drove in a run.

Waterloo 5, Trenton 3

Trenton lost a tense affair with Waterloo in eight innings. Waterloo scored a run in the seventh to tie things up, then plated two more in the eighth to take the win.

Matt Osborne drove in a run on two hits for Trenton, and Blake Zurliene also had a couple of singles. Paul Ritzheimer, Shawn Brueggemann, and Jameson Rakers all had hits for Trenton.

Trenton 15, Greenfield 0

Blake Wood tossed a short-game no-hitter and Trenton trounced Greenfield. Wood fanned 10 and walked just two in the victory.

Paul Ritzheimer tripled home two runs and Jameson Rakers doubled home two more to pace the offense. Ryan Spicer tripled, and Blake Zurliene and Tyler Shaw had two hits each for Trenton.

Belleville 5, Trenton 2

Facing the eventual tournament champions, Trenton managed just five hits on the day. Paul Ritzheimer and Blake Wood drove in runs, and Wood had two hits for the Gator.

Trenton's 1983 American Legion baseball team reunited Saturday afternoon to remember the state championship they won that season. On hand to watch the proceedings were two additional state championship managers, Murphysboro's Butch Brasel and Marissa's Kent Vollert.

Eleven original team members and coaches returned to the scene of the crime, and all team members were inducted into the Post 778 Legion Baseball Hall of Fame. Manager Tom Ritzheimer, coaches Tim Cook and Pete Schumacher, and player John Groennert are already members.

A number of former players live out of state, but at least two were able to attend. Tim Hopcus, a Breese product who now lives in Colorado, attended, as did Jeff Orr. A former Trenton resident, Orr now lives in Connecticut. A family visit helpfully coincided with the ë83 team's reunion.

Trenton's junior American Legion baseball team lost a doubleheader to a one-loss Effingham team after beating Centralia to conclude the week's play with an overall record of 15-11.

Against Centralia, Ryan Essenpreis hit a grand slam and drove in five runs in Trenton's 8-2 victory.

Trenton fell 5-4 and 4-1 to a very good Effingham team on Sunday.

New Baden Post 321's baseball team took three of four from a pair of St. Louis over the weekend, and managed a 23rd district win over Salem on Monday to complete its return to local action after a road trip to Tennessee.

Manager Bob Oster's team swept Imperial, Missouri in a Saturday doubleheader, pouring on the offense in 15-2 and 11-2 victories. On Sunday, Post 321 lost the first half of a twinbill to Amvets Post 67 of St. Louis, 9-3, before rebounding for a 12-0 victory in the nightcap.

In the second game, Wes Moll hurled a three-hitter over five innings, and the New Baden bats awakened from their one-game slumber. Back-to-back doubles from Kyle Moll and Daniel Covert staked New Baden to a 2-0 first inning lead, and Moll's two-run homer keyed a five-run fifth inning for New Baden as they cruised to the win.

At Salem Monday, Ross Reckert threw out the tying run at the plate for the final out of the game as New Baden hung on in as exciting a finish as can be imagined.

Daniel Covert allowed just two infield singles through the first six innings of the game, but three New Baden errors allowed Salem to come back from a 4-1 deficit. The game-ending play started with a single off the bat of Salem's Tommy Young. One Salem runner scored on the hit, but the second was called on a bang-bang play at the plate following Reckert's outstanding throw.

New Baden improved to 12-7 overall with the win. Post 321 is 2-1 in 23rd district play.