Baseball Game Preview: Benton Central Bison vs. Harrison Raiders

The Benton Central Bison will take on the Harrison Raiders at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Neither Benton Central nor Harrison posted many runs in their last games, so it might be the pitching crews that decide this one.

On Friday, Benton Central came up short against Hamilton Heights and fell 4-1.

Meanwhile, after a string of four wins, Harrison's good fortune finally ran out on Saturday. They fell just short of Homestead by a score of 2-1.

Colton Blackwell was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he didn't allow a single earned run over 5.1 innings pitched. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Harrison saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kendrick Pena, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base.

Harrison's defeat dropped their record down to 14-8. As for Benton Central, their loss dropped their record down to 7-15.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Benton Central has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Harrison struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.

Benton Central might still be hurting after the 18-8 defeat they got from Harrison in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can the Bison avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.