Cardinals edge out Savages for conference win

The Benton Cardinals avenge a loss from earlier in the season, winning 14-12 over Savannah on Monday for their 15th win of the year.

A much higher-scoring affair compared to their first meeting, this game ended up being nearly triple the run total of the first matchup between these two MEC in mid-April.

Benton wouldn’t have to do much to earn their first two runs of the game. As starting pitcher for Savannah Braylon Ellis was settling in, the Cardinals would see their first two runs on passed balls to help them jump out to a 2-0 lead. 

The Cardinals had the most success early in this ball game, exploding for four runs in the second inning with Benton sophomore Zadyn Woodward unloading a bases-loaded situation and hitting a three-RBI triple in the inning.

But even staring down the barrel of a five-run deficit early on, Savannah would have a surge of its own and eventually both teams were tied at 7 in the bottom of the third inning.

Benton would get the better of the Savages just by a small margin and do just enough to get the victory in what could be a deciding game for the Midland Empire Conference regular season title. Benton logs its fourth win a row with the victory on Monday and will turn its attention to a rivalry showdown with a revitalized Lafayette team that has won seven of its last eight games after starting the season 0-11.