Benton Squeezes Past Du Quoin Indians 2-1 in the season opener

Brock Bullar, Du Quoin shortstop, making a play at first base.

									
Dalton Day winds up during warm ups!
									
Benton Squeezes Past Du Quoin
									
Indians 2-1 in the season opener
									
By Jeff Profitt &
									
William McPherson
									
GateHouse Media Services
									
DUQUOIN
									
The 2016 Du Quoin Indians baseball team  opened  the season Monday, losing to  Benton 2-1.
									
Du Quoin had the winning runs  on base the start of the seventh.
									
Cole Hopkins hit into   a rare 1-3 double play and Brock Bullar grounded out to end the game.
									
The Indians (0-1) host Herrin for an 11 a.m. doubleheader Saturday.
									
Benton welcomes Salem on Wednesday.
									
“We had base runners on   early in the game and scored just once,”  Du Quoin coach Tim Craft said.
									
“We did not run the bases  too well at in the seventh. I felt  like both boys   pitched well.    This was a good game. ":
									
Du Quoin left seven on  base and Benton stranded nine runners  on base, but the Indians scored first.
									
Hopkins singled up the middle and Bullar reached on a an error. Hopkins went  to  third when Ryne O'Rourke singled, later in the play as the pitcher looked away.
									
Branden Lee struck out and Ashton Smith flew out to end the threat and the Rangers trailed only 1-0.
									
In the third, Benton made it 1-1 when    Mark Oliver singled and scored on a double by Dylan Chammes.
									
Cole Houghland singled  to start the fourth   and the later scored when Hamilton  Page hit  into a double play.
									
At the seventh, Hank  Stewart and Luke Metten singled, but Hopkins then hit into 1-3 double play.
									
Bullar then  grounded out to end things.
									
Richardson had two hits for Benton.
									
Hopkins and O'Rourke had two for the Indians. Luke Metten went 2-3 at the plate!
									
Dalton Day was the  losing pitcher, working the five innings.
									
Jordan Edwards pitched the last two innings, fanning four.
									
Summing up his team’s performance, Benton coach Brett Blondi said, “We definitely could have executed better with runners in scoring position, but defensively I was really happy with how we played. Levi and Logan threw the ball really well. Tyson had a good game behind the plate. We turned a couple big double plays with Logan catching the ball, and Gehrig Wynn getting the tag in seventh.”
									
Hitting wise Blondi said, “I would give us a six out of ten behind the plate. I don’t like a lot of strikeouts, especially if we have runners in scoring position.” Benton finished the game with six hits, one less than the Indians overall. To Blondi’s point, the Rangers also struck out eight times in the game, while the Indians only did so four times collectively.
									
Benton’s five hits included doubles by Threlkeld, Chamness, and Derek Oxford, as well as singles by Davis and Richardson. The Indians six hits came off whacks by Buller, Metten, Stewart, and Ryan O’Rourke.
									
Benton 2, Du Quoin 1
									
Benton  001 100 0 - 2   5    0
									
Du Quoin 100 000 0 - 1 7  1
									
Pearce, Thrailkill (5) and Houghland. Day, Edwards (6) and Smith.
									
WP-Thraikill.  LP-Day, 0-1.Top hitters: Benton- Dylan Chamness 1-3 (2b RBI), Derek Oxford 1-3 (2b), Cole Richardson 2-4, Tyson Houghland 1-3. Du Quoin- Cole Hopkins 2-4,  Ryne  O'Rourke 2-3 (RBI), Hank Stewart 1-3, Luke Metten 2-3.
									
RECORDS-Benton 1-0, Du Quoin 0-1.