Zion-Benton gave their fans exactly what they wanted out of a home opener on Tuesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand the Round Lake Panthers a 13-0 shutout. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Zee-Bees as it put an end to their ten-game losing streak dating back to last season.
Zion-Benton got a great performance from Andrew Mitchell as he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out nine over five innings pitched. What's more, Mitchell gave up only three hits, the fewest he's had since back in April of 2024.
On the hitting side, Ivan Jones and Jack Marabella did most of the damage at the plate: Jones scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-1, while Marabella went 1-for-3 with four RBI, one run, and one double. That's the most runs Jones has posted since back in March of 2024. Sam Villarreal was another key player, scoring two runs while getting on base in two of his four plate appearances.
Zion-Benton always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .533. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Round Lake only posted an OBP of .222.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Zion-Benton will challenge Wheeling at 4:45 p.m. on Friday. As for Round Lake, they are taking a road trip to face off against Woodstock at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Round Lake has now lost 17 straight dating back to last season, leaving the team hunting for their first win since April 18.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
