The Benton Rangers will square off against the Murphysboro Red Devils at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Benton is coming into the game on a three-game losing streak.
Benton fell victim to Frankfort and their airtight pitching crew on Friday. They took a 5-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Redbirds.
Benton saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Hunter Irvin, who went 1-for-3 with one double. Kyler Rash also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Murphysboro not only won on Wednesday, but they posted their biggest win since May 9, 2025 (when they won 11-3). They blew past Anna-Jonesboro 9-3.
Shakur Karg made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run over five innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Murphysboro is 3-1 when he allows at most three earned runs, but 1-15 otherwise. Karg was also big at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double. Those four hits gave him a new career-high.
Murphysboro was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .444. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Benton's loss dropped their record down to 8-10. As for Murphysboro, their victory ended a five-game drought on the road and puts them at 4-16.
Benton came out on top in a nail-biter against Murphysboro when the teams last played back in May of 2025, sneaking past 10-8. Do the Rangers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Red Devils turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
