Crete hasn't had much luck against Bennington recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Cardinals will head out on the road to challenge the Badgers at 4:30 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Crete gave up the first runs on Tuesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 victory over Beatrice. That's two games straight that the Cardinals have won by just one run.
Triston Lenhoff
| 04/08/25 @ Beatrice | 1 |
| 04/07/25 vs Wahoo/Bishop Neumann | 1 |
| 04/05/25 vs Adams Central | 2 |
| 04/05/25 vs Lincoln Lutheran | 1 |
Crete's win was truly a team effort as three different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Triston Lenhoff, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Lenhoff is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last four games he's played.
Crete hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Beatrice struck out seven times.
Meanwhile, Bennington strolled into their game on Tuesday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They blew past Gross Catholic 11-3. The Badgers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four contests by eight runs or more this season.
Jarron Utterback tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run over 5.2 innings pitched.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Morgan Schuman, who scored three runs while going 2-for-4. Aidan Smith was another key player, scoring a run while going 1-for-4.
Bennington pushed their record up to 11-0 with the victory, which was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.1 runs over those games. As for Crete, the victory made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 9-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Crete has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.1 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Bennington struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Crete suffered a grim 12-3 defeat to Bennington in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Can the Cardinals avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
