Benton dropped to 5-3 on Wednesday, ending the team's three-game streak of wins on the road. They fell just short of the Fairfield Mules by a score of 3-1. The matchup marked the Rangers' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Wade Baumgarte
| 04/01/26 @ Fairfield | 2 |
| 03/21/26 vs Zeigler-Royalton | 2 |
| 03/20/26 @ Hardin County | 0 |
Benton got a good showing from Wade Baumgarte, who tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. Baumgarte has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Benton saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Kruz Koester, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI. That double marked the first that Koester has hit this season.
As for Fairfield, the win (which was their fifth in a row) raised their record to 5-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.2 runs on average over those games.
On Fairfield's side, Logan Tullis was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run.
Looking ahead, Benton will face off against Massac County at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The Rangers' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Patriots have averaged an impressive 8 runs per game this season. As for Fairfield, they will head out to face off against Wayne City at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The Mules' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Indians have averaged an impressive 7.8 runs per game this season.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps