Benton Central is 0-8 against Harrison since May of 2015 but things could change on Thursday. The Bison will venture away from home to face off against the Raiders at 6:00 p.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Benton Central took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-6 victory over Covington. The win was some much needed relief for the Bison as it spelled an end to their seven-game losing streak.
Reagan Dowell spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and four unearned) runs on 11 hits and racked up six Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Madison Minniear, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Izzy Adams was another key player, getting on base in all four of her plate appearances with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Harrison posted their closest victory since May 11, 2024 on Saturday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Terre Haute South Vigo, sneaking past 3-1.
Harrison also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Lilly Kiefer gave up only one earned run on four hits. Kiefer has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up a single walk in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Harrison saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Becca Knight, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
Harrison hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least two batters in four consecutive matches.
Harrison has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a nice bump to their 6-10 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 4.0 runs on average over those games. As for Benton Central, their record now sits at 6-15.
Benton Central suffered a grim 17-1 defeat to Harrison in their previous meeting back in May of 2023. Can the Bison avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
