With a playoff win on the line, Benton rose to the challenge on Thursday. They had just enough and edged out the Mt. Carmel Aces 9-7. The victory was nothing new for the Rangers as they're now sitting on four straight.
Hunter Irvin spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered four earned (and three unearned) runs on 11 hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances.

Lane Croslin
| 05/28/26 @ Mt. Carmel | 3 |
| 05/20/26 vs Johnston City | 2 |
| 04/20/26 vs Anna-Jonesboro | 2 |
| 04/02/26 vs Massac County | 2 |
| 03/24/26 @ Salem | 2 |
At the plate, Lane Croslin and Holden Skibo did most of the damage at the plate: Croslin went 3-for-4 with four RBI and one double, while Skibo went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. Those three hits gave Croslin a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Kruz Koester, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one double.
Benton's win bumped their record up to 15-16. As for Mt. Carmel, their defeat dropped their record down to 19-10.
Coming up, Benton will take on Carmi-White County at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. Mt. Carmel does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
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