vs
| 04/04/24 - Away | 12-3 W |
| 04/06/23 - Home | 5-3 W |
| 04/08/21 - Home | 7-0 W |
| 04/06/19 - Home | 6-1 W |
| 04/08/17 - Home | 1-0 W |
| + 2 more games |
Bennington is a perfect 7-0 against Crete since April of 2015 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Badgers will host the Cardinals at 4:30 p.m. Bennington is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
Bennington is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Nebraska's top teams: Gross Catholic, who was ranked 13th at the time (Bennington was ranked sixth). The Badgers blew past the Cougars 11-3 on Tuesday. The Badgers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four matchups by eight runs or more this season.
Bennington got a great performance from Jarron Utterback as he didn't allow a single earned run over 5.2 innings pitched.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Morgan Schuman, who scored three runs while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Mason Buechler, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Crete hadn't done well against Beatrice recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Cardinals had just enough and edged out the Orangemen 2-1. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Cardinals have posted against the Orangemen since April 5, 2018.
Crete's victory was truly a team effort as three different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Triston Lenhoff, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Lenhoff is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played.
Crete hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Beatrice struck out seven times.
Bennington's win was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 11-0. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.1 runs over those games. As for Crete, they are on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 9-6 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bennington has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Crete struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.1 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bennington took their win against Crete in their previous matchup back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 12-3 score. Do the Badgers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Cardinals turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
