The Benton Rangers will square off against the DuQuoin Indians at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Benton is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.5 runs per game this season.
Benton's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 15-0 margin over Shawnee. The Rangers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight matchups by six runs or more this season.
Avery Thomas (2027) was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out six over four innings pitched. Thomas (2027) was also big at the plate, scoring a run while getting on base in all four of her plate appearances.
McKenna Drew
| 04/16/25 vs Shawnee | 2 |
| 04/09/25 vs Harrisburg | 1 |
| 04/07/25 @ DuQuoin | 1 |
| 04/01/25 vs Pope County | 1 |
| 03/27/25 vs Eldorado | 1 |
In other batting news, Benton got a massive performance out of McKenna Drew, who went 2-for-3 with five RBI, two doubles, and one run. Those two doubles gave Drew a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Lucy Giacone (2025), who scored three runs and stole a base while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Meanwhile, DuQuoin was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their 13th straight defeat dating back to last season. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost a 9-7 heartbreaker at the hands of Nashville. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Indians have suffered since May 6, 2024.
Lucy Milam was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one home run and four RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Isabele Jones, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Benton's win bumped their record up to 9-7. As for DuQuoin, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-12.
DuQuoin's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Benton has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .545. It's a different story for DuQuoin, though, as they've only averaged .334. Will they be able to contain Benton's hitters?
Everything went Benton's way against DuQuoin in their previous meeting last Monday, as Benton made off with a 13-3 victory. Will the Rangers repeat their success, or do the Indians have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
