The Benton Tigers will face off against the Neumann Regional Academy Golden Knights at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
While Benton didn't have the best season last year (they finished 9-11), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They were the clear victors by a 17-8 margin over Bucktail on Wednesday. The victory continues a trend for the Tigers in their matchups with the Bucks: they've now won nine in a row.
Wayne Osborne
| 04/09/25 @ Bucktail | 4 |
| 04/04/25 @ Millville | 1 |
| 03/31/25 vs Northwest Area | 1 |
| 03/22/25 vs Sullivan County | 1 |
| 05/03/24 vs Sullivan County | 1 |
Wayne Osborne was a standout: he went 3-for-5 with four RBI and one run. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Seth Kolb, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Osborne wasn't the only one making solid contact: Benton kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Neumann Regional Academy). They blew past Northwest Area 19-10 on Wednesday. Considering the Golden Knights have won five games by more than seven runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Gino Birch made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one hit in four consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring four runs while getting on base in three of his six plate appearances.
In other batting news, Angelo Birch was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing a base while getting on base in four of his six plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Avery Taddeo, who went 2-for-5 with four RBI and one run.
Neumann Regional Academy has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 5-2 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.2 runs over those games. As for Benton, their victory was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 4-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Benton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Neumann Regional Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.
