The Benton Central Bison will face off against the Western Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Benton Central's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last three matchups.
If Benton Central beats Western with 12 runs on Friday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two contests with that exact score. The Bison beat Lafayette Jefferson on Thursday by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 12-2. The result was nothing new for the Bison, who have now won six games by six runs or more so far this season.
Sydney Groves made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out 11 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits. Groves was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run.
Benton Central was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .387. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lafayette Jefferson only posted a batting average of .250.
Meanwhile, while Western put up some runs on Thursday, the same can't be said for Lebanon. The Panthers came out on top against the Tigers by a score of 5-0. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Panthers.
Not much got past Lucy George, who gave up just a hit and racked up 12 Ks to keep Lebanon off the board. George has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Jocelyn Jeffers, who went 2-for-3 with one home run. That's the most hits she has posted over her last ten matchups. Brynley Erb was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run.
Benton Central's win bumped their record up to 10-3. As for Western, their victory bumped their record up to 10-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Benton Central has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Western struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Benton Central came up short against Western when the teams last played back in May of 2022, falling 5-1. Can the Bison avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
