Baseball Preview: DuQuoin Indians vs. Benton Rangers
The DuQuoin Indians will challenge the Benton Rangers at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. DuQuoin is looking to tack on another W to their 12-game streak on the road dating back to last season.
In what's become a running theme this season, DuQuoin gave their fans yet another huge victory on Thursday. They blew past Trico 13-2.
Dedrick Melvin looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Tilden Henderson and Trent Mazur did most of the damage at the plate: Henderson scored three runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2, while Mazur scored two runs while going 2-for-2. The team also got some help courtesy of Jaden DeMarie, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, it can be hard to translate regular season success to the playoffs, but Benton had no problem doing just that on Monday. They were the clear victor by a 12-2 margin over the Panthers. Benton's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Mason Tieffel was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He pitched five innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits. Tieffel was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Grant Owens was incredible, going 3-for-3 with a home run, three runs, and three RBI. Kyle Thomas was another key contributor, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
DuQuoin's win bumped their record up to 30-3. As for Benton, their victory ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 10-23.
Benton's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: DuQuoin hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .348. It's a different story for Benton, though, as they've only averaged .227. Will they be able to contain DuQuoin's hitters?
Everything went DuQuoin's way against Benton in their previous meeting back in April as DuQuoin made off with a 12-2 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for DuQuoin since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
