Baseball Game Preview: Benton Bobcats vs. Independence Mustangs

Benton has won three straight games at home, while Independence has won three straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Monday. The Bobcats will welcome the Mustangs at 5:00 p.m. Benton's pitching crew has only allowed 3.4 runs per game this season, so Independence's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Benton is probably headed into the game with a chip on their shoulder considering West Liberty just ended the team's five-game winning streak on Saturday. They fell just short of the Comets by a score of 4-2. The matchup marked the Bobcats' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

While Independence didn't have the best season last year (they finished 15-21), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They had just enough and edged out Mt. Vernon 8-7 on Thursday.

Independence's victory bumped their record up to 7-5. As for Benton, their loss dropped their record down to 11-3.

Benton was able to grind out a solid win over Independence when the teams last played back in June of 2024, winning 8-3. Will the Bobcats repeat their success, or do the Mustangs have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.