Benton Central extended their losing streak to three on Monday, dropping them down to 10-6. They took a 7-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of the West Lafayette Red Devils. That's two games in a row now that the Bison have lost by exactly four runs.
Harper Butler was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. She tossed 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one walk in five consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
In other batting news, Izabella Bauer made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one double. That triple marked the first that she has hit this season.
As for West Lafayette, they are on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-3 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.3 runs over those games.
Like Benton Central, West Lafayette also got a great game from a two-way player: Molly Mansfield. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits (and only one walk). Mansfield was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Paola Eifler was incredible, going 3-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Eleanor Hurt, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and two RBI.
Benton Central wasted no time getting back out on the field and has already played their next game, a 4-0 win against Covington on the 12th. As for West Lafayette, they will challenge Tri-County at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (the Red Devils 3.2, the Cavaliers 2.6) so any runs scored will be well earned.
