Baseball Recap: West Central Area Takes a Loss

West Central Area extended their losing streak to six on Thursday, dropping their season record down to 1-6 in the process. They came up short against Benson, falling 10-0. The Knights were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as Benson apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in April of 2024.

As for Benson, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-3 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games.

For Benson's part, Alex Claussen was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, keeping things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Claussen has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks any time he's pitched this season. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in two of his three plate appearances with two stolen bases and one run.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Landon Skarsten, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three stolen bases, one triple, and two RBI. With that strong performance, he is now averaging an impressive 1.3 stolen bases per game. Max Nygaard was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run.

Coming up, West Central Area will host Breckenridge at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Benson, they will face off against Ortonville at 4:00 p.m. on Friday.