Benton Central and West Lafayette are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2019, but likely not for long. The Bison are taking a road trip to square off against the Red Devils at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Benton Central not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since May 13, 2024 (when they won 10-0). They put the hurt on Lafayette Central Catholic with a sharp 12-2 win.
Reagan Dowell spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on five hits and racked up six Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances.
Mariyah Rich
| 05/01/25 vs Lafayette Central Catholic | 4 |
| 04/30/25 @ Twin Lakes | 2 |
| 04/08/25 @ Lafayette Central Catholic | 2 |
| 05/13/24 vs Frontier | 2 |
| 05/01/24 vs Lafayette Central Catholic | 2 |
On the hitting side, Mariyah Rich was incredible, going a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. Those four hits gave her a new career-high. Madison Minniear was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base.
Benton Central was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .462. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .343 or higher in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, West Lafayette made easy work of Faith Christian on Thursday and carried off a 12-2 victory. The Red Devils might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven matchups by seven runs or more this season.
Molly Mansfield was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit (and not a single walk). Mansfield was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with two RBI, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Bree Johnson, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. That triple marked the first that she has hit this season. Another player making a difference was Kerrigan Gooden, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
West Lafayette has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 9-6 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.8 runs over those games. As for Benton Central, their record is now 5-8.
Benton Central came up short against West Lafayette when the teams last played back in April, falling 9-4. Can the Bison avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
