Hamilton County is 1-9 against Benton since May of 2016 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Wednesday. The Foxes will host the Rangers at 4:30 p.m. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.
Hamilton County is headed into Wednesday's contest looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fourth straight game on Tuesday. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost an 8-6 heartbreaker at the hands of Waltonville.
Colby Karcher put in work while hitting and pitching. He tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Karcher was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing a base while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. That stolen base was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Jayden Melvin made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Those hits marked the first that he got this season. Fred Ping was another key player, scoring a run while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Monday just wasn't the day for Benton's offense. They lost 10-0 to Mt. Vernon on Monday. The Rangers' defeat continues a trend for the squad, making it four in a row.
Benton saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kyle Thomas, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and one double.
Benton's loss dropped their record down to 4-8. As for Hamilton County, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-5.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Hamilton County has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Benton struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 2.9 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Hamilton County suffered a grim 13-1 defeat to Benton in their previous meeting back in May of 2023. Will the Foxes have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
