Benton and Marion are an even 3-3 against one another since May of 2016, but likely not for long. The Rangers will look to defend their home field on Wednesday against the Wildcats at 4:30 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Tuesday, Benton earned a 5-1 victory over Trico. The win continues a trend for the Rangers in their matchups with the Pioneers: they've now won four in a row.
Hunter Irvin spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up ten Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances.
Grant Owens
| 05/06/25 vs Trico | 2 |
| 04/25/25 vs Frankfort | 2 |
| 03/27/25 @ Eldorado | 2 |
| 03/21/25 vs Hardin County | 2 |
| 04/28/25 @ Pinckneyville | 1 |
| + 6 more games |
At the plate, Grant Owens was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI. Benton is undefeated when Owens posts two or more runs, but 3-17 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Kyle Thomas, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and one run.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Marion, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They walked away with a 7-2 victory over Carbondale on Tuesday.
Marion has been performing well recently as they've won 11 of their last 13 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 15-6 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.4 runs on average over those games. As for Benton, their victory bumped their record up to 7-17.
Benton came out on top in a nail-biter against Marion when the teams last played back in May of 2024, sneaking past 2-1. Will the Rangers repeat their success, or do the Wildcats have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
