The Manchester Academy Lady Mavericks and the Benton Academy Lady Raiders faced off again in a rivalry re-match at Benton Academy, on Tuesday, September 4.
The Lady Raiders had a score to settle after falling short to Manchester 8 - 9 in the last rivalry game at Manchester on August 21.
The first inning began with Manchester up to bat, but Benton's tight defense kept the Lady Mavericks from scoring.
Madilyn Manor lea the bottom half of the inning with a bunt off the first pitch from Manchester's pitcher Merrell Nichols. A few more good hits from the Lady Raiders proved that they meant business, but they were still unable to bring home a run.
Manchester began the second inning by heating up the plate, scoring at least one run before giving the field back to Benton.
The Lady Raiders stepped up to the batter's box with an intent to score in the second inning. Big hits from Hannah Waldrup and Catie Merrell gave Benton Academy a 4 - 1 lead over Manchester.
The Lady Mavericks were not giving up yet, however.
The Manchester girls hit ball after ball into Benton's outfield in the third inning, aiming to close the gap on the scoreboard, but were unable to bring home any runs. The Lady Raider outfield was very tight, and accurate pitching from Gracey Manor kept runners from getting on base.
The Lady Raider's went to the plate again in the bottom on the third and added more points to the board thanks to big hits and accurate bunts from Brittany Bigford and Madilyn Manor, closing the inning with a 7 - 1 lead.
The fourth inning became a showdown for players on both sides.
Aggressive hitting from Lady Mavericks Hannah Trammell, Lanie Potter, and Merrell Nichols gave the Benton girls a workout.
Center fielder Hannah Waldrup used her height and jumped to snag a ball hit to the fence by Manchester's Merrell Nichols.
Speedy base coverage and stops from Benton's short stop Avery Eldridge and third baseman Catie Merrell kept the Lady Maverick's in check, allowing them to score only 2 runs.
Going into the fifth inning, the Lady Raiders were leading 8 - 3.
Manchester was still pushing its offense on the Benton girls, nailing hit after hit into the field, but they were unable to score. Playing as Benton's catcher, Madilyn Manor threw a ball from behind home plate, which helped tag a runner out who was trying to steal second base.
More big hits from the Lady Raiders increased the gap on the scoreboard to 10 - 3.
In the sixth inning, the Lady Mavericks stepped up to the plate again, scoring twice, splitting the score 10 - 5.
With only one out, and runners on second and third base, Benton Academy's pitcher, Gracey Manor was able to strike out two hitters back-to-back and end the game, giving Benton Academy a conference win over Manchester.
"As a team it’s the best I’ve seen our girls play in several weeks," said Benton Academy Softball Coach Casey Arbuckle. "They came in confident and relaxed, and every single one of them did their job. I was proud of the team work and the determination they showed!"
"Benton played a great game," said Manchester's Softball Coach Robert Black. "They put the ball in play and were solid defensively. We must do a better job of not giving up a big inning. We gave up seven runs in that one inning, and just could not work our way back into the ball game. Looking ahead, we are 3-1 in district games and still control our own destiny as far as winning the district title. If we can find some consistency and play up to our potential, we have a chance."
