Softball Game Preview: Harrison Raiders vs. Benton Central Bison

By Team Reports May 14, 2025, 10:17pm

Softball Preview: Harrison Raiders vs. Benton Central Bison

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Previous Games

05/11/23 - Home17-1 W
05/12/22 - Away10-5 W
05/13/21 - Home3-2 W
05/09/19 - Home6-5 W
05/10/18 - Away11-1 W
+ 3 more games

Harrison is a perfect 8-0 against Benton Central since May of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Raiders will welcome the Bison at 6:00 p.m. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.

While Harrison's win against Terre Haute South Vigo wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Raiders sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-1 victory over the Braves on Saturday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Raiders have posted since May 11, 2024.

Lilly Kiefer spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on four hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up a single walk in four consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Harrison's victory was truly a team effort as seven different players contributed 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. They are 4-1 when they post two or more strikeouts.

Meanwhile, Benton Central had to endure a seven-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They skirted past Covington 7-6.

Benton Central also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Reagan Dowell gave up just two earned (and four unearned) runs on 11 hits and racked up six Ks.

At the plate, Madison Minniear was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Another player making a difference was Izzy Adams, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with one run, one double, and one RBI.

Harrison has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 6-10 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.8 runs over those games. As for Benton Central, their victory bumped their record up to 6-15.

Benton Central's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Harrison has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.4 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Benton Central, though, as they've been averaging only 3.9 strikeouts. Will Harrison keep running through batters, or will the Bison buck the trend?

Harrison took their win against Benton Central in their previous matchup back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 17-1 score. Do the Raiders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bison turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.

Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps