Softball Game Preview: DuQuoin Indians vs. Benton Rangers

The DuQuoin Indians are taking a road trip to challenge the Benton Rangers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. DuQuoin is looking for their season's first victory.

DuQuoin came into this matchup off a tough 16-run defeat on Monday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of Nashville by a score of 9-7 on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Indians have suffered since May 6, 2024.

Lucy Milam made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-3 with one home run and four RBI. Isabele Jones also deserves some recognition as she hit her first doubles of the season.

Meanwhile, Benton got themselves on the board against Shawnee on Wednesday, but Shawnee never followed suit. They put the hurt on the Redskins with a sharp 15-0 win. The Rangers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won eight matches by six runs or more this season.

Avery Thomas (2027) made a big impact while hitting and pitching. 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.

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 five RBI gave Drew a new career-high. Lucy Giacone (2025) was another key player, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.

Benton's record now sits at 9-7. As for DuQuoin, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-12.

DuQuoin suffered a grim 13-3 defeat to Benton in their previous meeting last Monday. Can the Indians avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.