The Bennington Badgers will look to defend their home field on Friday against the Pius X Thunderbolts at 4:30 p.m. Bennington will be looking to keep their six-game home win streak dating back to last season alive.
In what's become a running theme this season, Bennington gave their fans yet another huge win on Thursday. They blew past Crete 12-3.
Dominic Mendocino and Brandt Schmidt dominated on the mound. Mendocino pitched four innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits (he also only allowed one walk), while Schmidt tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits.
At the plate, Hunter Spencer and Layne Boever did most of the damage at the plate: Spencer scored three runs and stole three bases while getting on base in four of his five plate appearances, while Boever went 3-for-4 with two runs, a triple, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Ethan Roth, who got on base in three of his five plate appearances with a triple, two RBI, and a run.
Meanwhile, Pius X lost a heartbreaker to Lincoln North Star when they met back in April of 2019, and they left with a heavy heart again on Thursday. Pius X fell just short of Lincoln North Star by a score of 6-4. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Pius X in their matchups with Lincoln North Star: they've now lost five in a row.
Pius X also got a good showing from Tyler Parr, who pitched three innings while giving up no earned run or hits (he also only allowed one walk). Parr has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single walk in three consecutive pitching appearances.
On the hitting side, Derek Burrage was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-2 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI. Kaleb Ledgerwood was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 3-for-3.
Bennington's victory bumped their record up to 9-1. As for Pius X, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bennington has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Pius X struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.8. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bennington came up short against Pius X in their previous meeting back in March of 2023, falling 13-9. Thankfully for Bennington, Reese Kortum (who scored four runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
