Prep Baseball
Matt Hopkins did it all for the Alton Redbirds during their first wins of the prep baseball season the past weekend.
The left swinger collected three hits, had a walk, and drove in two runs as the Redbirds routed Murphysboro, 14-5, in the second game of a doubleheader. He also pitched three innings. The 2-1 Birds also won their first game from Murphy by the same score.
Alton, which was scheduled to play Monday at Jersey, had dropped its opener to Monticello, 11-4. All three weekend games were played in Carbondale.
Bryan Hudson drove in three runs, while Jacob Skrabacz contributed three hits for the Redbirds against Murphysboro. Drake Hampton added two hits to back winning pitcher Brent Mezo. Five-run bursts in the fourth and seventh ignited the Redbirds.
Shells drop pair – Roxana began its season with a pair of narrow losses. The Shells lost to Jersey, 10-7, and Waterloo Gibault, 5-4, in weekend play.
Prep Softball
Alton 12, Greenfield 0 – The Redbirds started their season in an upbeat way by rolling over visiting Greenfield in a lopsided nonconference game. Alton is scheduled to play Tuesday at neighboring rival East Alton-Wood River. Game time is 4 p.m. at Lions Field.
Alina Maher was 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and Georgia Dodson went 2-for-3 to back the Redbirds in the Greenfield game. They made a dozen runs on 10 hits.
Winning pitcher Brittany Roady gave up two hits, struck out six and walked one in the five-inning affair.
Mascoutah 12, Roxana 3 – The Indians built a quick lead and zipped past the Shells in a nonconference game.
Cindy Scroggins was 1-for-3 with a double and RBI for Roxana. Ashley Meyers also had a hit and drove in a run. Andrea Lawson took the loss.
The Shells are scheduled to welcome Calhoun on Wednesday and Civic Memorial on Thursday in a pair of nonconference games.
College Swimming
Godfrey’s Maddie Monroe, a sophomore at Arkansas, fared well in the NCAA Swimming and Diving championships the past weekend at Minneapolis.
Monroe, an Alton High graduate, was a member of the Razorbacks’ 800 freestyle relay team that finished 21st in 7 minutes, 10.57 seconds. She also swam on the 400 freestyle relay team, 25th in 3:18.80 and the 400 medley relay squad, 25th in 3:37.6.
Georgia won the NCAA team title.