A first inning three-run home run was too much for Chillicothe to recover from in a 5-0 home loss.
Benton made the most of Chillicothe’s first inning struggles. The first two Benton batters were hit by pitches and the third batter, on a 2-1 count, fired a pitch over the fence for a 3-0 lead.
The Cardinals scored in the sixth inning off a two walks and a single, and again in the seventh inning off two walks, a fly out and a double.
Chillicothe’s three pitchers allowed five earned runs off seven hits with seven strike outs and seven walks.
At the plate, Chillicothe managed just three hits while the Benton pitcher fanned 16 batters in seven innings. The Hornets had two singles from Westley Brandsgaard and one from Mason Baxter.
