Picture courtesy of Heather Hardesty

FINALS:

GAME 1
BENNINGTON 12
ELL-SALINE 6

GAME 2
BENNINGTON 3
ELL-SALINE 2

You can throw the records out when it comes to softball but that’s definitely true when the Ell-Saline Cardinals take on the Bennington Bulldogs. Bennington came into the game Friday with just one loss and boasting a 15-1 record. Ell-Saline on the other hand, has just a 3-7 record, but the lady Cardinals would give Bennington all they could handle.

Bennington got the scoring started in the top of the 1st as Gracie Caswell scored the games first run on a passed ball and the lady Bulldogs led 1-0.

Ell-Saline answered and took the lead in the second after Bret Hecker took a Haylee Blake pitch and hit it over the left field fence with Hardesty on base for a two-run home run.

The Cardinals extended their lead in the second inning as Isabelle Porter used a leadoff double to later score in the inning and the lady Cardinals led 3-1.

Bennington tied things up in the top of the third with a two-run triple by Rylee Benien but the Cardinals were able to turn a double play on the next batter to get out of the inning.

The Bulldogs broke the tie in the top of the fifth, as they plated three runners to take a 6-3 lead. They added another in the top of the 6th and lead 7-3 going into the final inning.

Bennington exploded for five runs in the top of the seventh to break the game wide open 12-3.

Ell-Saline would scratch and claw in the bottom of the seventh as they would score three runs before the comeback ultimately came up short 12-6.

Ell-Saline moves to 3-9 on the season and will travel to Hutchinson next Tuesday to take on Hutch Trinity. Bennington will also be on the road next Tuesday as they travel to Canton to take on the lady Eagles.

City Plumbing Heating and Cooling Player of the Game – Bret Hecker