Benton is 2-8 against Montgomery since April of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Friday. The Benton Tigers will head out on the road to square off against the Montgomery Red Raiders at 4:30 p.m.
Benton is is headed into Friday's match looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their ninth straight game dating back to last season on Thursday. They wound up on the wrong side of a tough 18-0 walloping at the hands of Northwest Area. That's two games in a row now that Benton has lost by exactly 18 runs.
Meanwhile, Montgomery entered their tilt with Sugar Valley Rural with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. They were the clear victor by a 15-3 margin over the Phoenix on Thursday. Considering Montgomery has won six matchups by more than nine runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Ava Hartman was a major factor no matter where she played. She pitched seven innings while giving up three earned runs off ten hits. Hartman has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances. Hartman was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI, and a double.
In other batting news, Madisyn Miller was incredible, going 4-for-4 with a home run, three runs, and four RBI. Another player making a difference was Falin Reynolds, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Benton's loss dropped their record down to 0-5. As for Montgomery, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games, which provided a nice bump to their 7-3 record this season.
Benton might still be hurting after the 19-1 defeat they got from Montgomery in their previous meeting last Tuesday. Can Benton avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
