Benton hasn't had much luck against Mt. Vernon recently, but that could start to change on Monday. Benton will look to defend their home field against Mt. Vernon at 4:30 p.m. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.
Last Saturday, Benton came up short against Marshall County and fell 9-6. The Rangers have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Peyton Robinson put in work while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. That's the fewest hits he has allowed since back in May of 2024. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-1. He also put up a double, which was his first of the season.
In other batting news, Kruz Koester made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-2 with one home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Clay Gage, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Mt. Vernon was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their eighth straight defeat dating back to last season. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost a 4-2 heartbreaker at the hands of Effingham. That's two games in a row now that the Rams have lost by exactly two runs.
Maxwell Nowak was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he pitched five innings while giving up just one earned run off eight hits.
At the plate, Alex Kiefer was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run and stealing two bases while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Those two stolen bases gave him a new career-high.
Mt. Vernon's loss dropped their record down to 0-6. As for Benton, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-6.
Benton suffered a grim 13-1 defeat to Mt. Vernon in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Will Benton have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
