While the Rangers did their work against the Redbirds on the baseball diamond, the Benton Rangerettes also challenged the Redbirds on the softball diamond in Benton Park.
After not having played in a week due to inclement weather, the Rangerettes were challenged, but came out with a 10-2 victory over their Franklin County foes.
"It really felt like we haven't played in a week… there were times in the game when it showed," said Ryan Miller, Rangerettes' coach. "We played a little rusty… we hit the ball pretty well for the most part. We're going out there and putting the ball in play which is something I'm really happy about. We're putting pressure on the defense and we're playing good defense ourselves."
With junior Eb Casey on the mound, the Rangerettes did not let any runs score in the top of the first inning. When they got their turn at the plate, the home team tallied two runs to take an early 2-0 lead.
Runs came when senior Ally Gischer popped a base hit and then stole her way all the way around to home plate. Then, Lacey Jerkins hit her own base hit and was brought home when senior Cristen Shaw poked a shot to second base (she was called out at first).
The Redbirds showed some life in the next inning. After Casey walked the bases loaded, a Redbird popped to center field which turned into a double. One run came in and Shaw picked off a base runner trying to make it to third. One more out ended the inning and put the home team back at the plate.
The Rangerettes tallied one run (3-1) in the bottom of the second after Casey hit a base hit. She made it home when Baylie Sawyer knocked an RBI single into left field.
The Redbirds would not give up and they scored one run in the third inning after a triple was hit to long left field.
Again, the home team answered with one run of their own in the fourth. Courtney Reno led things off with a base hit to center field. She was brought home by Shaw who again hit the ball to the outfield, but was caught at first base.
The fourth inning was when the Rangerettes pulled far ahead of their opponents. They scored three runs to make it a 7-2 game. It started with a pair of base hits by Sawyer and Zoe Carlton.
Then, Kiley Carter hit a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Gischer brought in Sawyer, but was called out at first.
Reno was walked to put runners at first and third when Lacey Jerkins came to the plate. She knocked an RBI double into center field to bring Carlton and Reno home.
The final runs were scored in the sixth inning when Jerkins hit her second RBI double into left field and Lindsey Seidel followed with her own RBI single to bring Jerkins home.
Back in the field for the top of the seventh inning, the Rangerettes ended the game when Gischer fielded a ground ball, stepped on second base and threw to Seidel on first to turn a double play.
"I like where we're headed," Miller said. "To keep the pressure on an opponent is key to success… we had a few times where they would make a mistake and then a couple runs would score and we would still come up and get a hit in the next play.
