Marion gets some satisfaction in split with Benton Community

MARION - Some teams wouldn't be happy with splitting a doubleheader. The Marion baseball team is just fine with it.

The Indians (16-6) knocked off No. 5 Benton Community, 7-1, in the opener Monday and then lost to the Bobcats (15-5) in the nightcap by the same score.

"It was good for us to come out and play well," Indians coach Steve Fish said.

Through the first five innings of the opener it looked like the No. 5 team in the state was going to gut out a pitchers' duel.

Junior Mitch Moser was throwing a gem for the Bobcats, scattering four hits through the first five innings of play. Indian starter Tyler Hedtke pitched right with him, allowing just one run on two hits through five.

Marion's Christian Stekl hit a single to begin the fifth, which began Benton's downfall. Addison Johnson homered over the right field wall to give the Indians a 2-1 lead. That was just the beginning of the sixth for the Indians, though.

They went on to score five more runs, knocking Moser out of the game after Mitch Wagner's double with the bases loaded, to bring in three more runs.

Hedtke slammed the door shut for the Bobcats in the seventh inning, grabbing the win for Marion. He finished with five strikeouts and scattered six hits.

It didn't take Benton Community long to respond in the nightcap. The Bobcats used a four-run second inning, knocking off the Indians, 7-1, to split the night's doubleheader.

Moser and Stenberg led the way for Benton's offense with a pair of hits apiece while Stenberg added three RBIs as the Bobcats roughed up Indians starter Cale Cannoy.

Cannoy's first pitch was a Moser single and he never seemed comfortable in the game. He gave up four runs on seven hits in three innings and left the game in the third after getting hit in the back by a line shot.

An ambulance was called but Cannoy suffered only a bruise to his back.

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