Rangers baseball drops season opener to Du Quoin

The Benton Rangers opened the 2013 season Monday on the road battling cold temperatures and a hot-hitting Du Quoin Indians team.  The Rangers lost 11-0 in five innings, featuring a virtually entire new starting lineup after graduation took a heavy toll from last year’s team that advanced to sectional play.

The season opener for both teams remained relatively close in the early going with Du Quoin holding a 2-0 lead after after two innings.  The Indians tacked on two more in the third and then blew the game open in the fourth inning with a 7-run outburst.  The Rangers were held to only one hit, a single by Caleb Kearney.

Dakota Head, a sophomore and the only Benton pitcher with varsity experience, took the loss giving up nine runs on 10 hits. Head lasted 3-2/3 inning giving way to Kearney who got the final out in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Head took the loss while Du Quoin’s A.J Smith got the win.

The Rangers 0-1 are back in action this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. at Benton Community Park against Carterville.

BENTON (0) AT DUQUOIN (11)

BENTON         AB R H BI                         DUQUOIN         AB R H BI

Cameron Rock 2 0 0 0                            Austin Mansker    4 1 2 2

Tyler Owens 3 0 0 0                                Brenden Fred        4 2 3 2

Ethan Hughes 2 0 0 0                             Nate Boss               4 0 0 0

Nathaniel Higgins 1 0 0 0                      Camden Youngman 3 1 2 2

Dakota Head 2 0 0 0                               Travis Chapman     3 0 1 0

Gus Gibbs 0 0 0 0                                    Camdon Mercier    2 2 1 0

Martin Ward 2 0 0 0                               Garrett Dorsey        3 2 2 2

Zack Mocaby 2 0 0 0                               Jonah Spencer        2 2 1 2

Caleb Kearney 2 0 1 0                             Jacob O’Rourke        1 1 0 1

TOTALS 16 0 1 0 TOTALS 26 11 12 11 BENTON 000 00 — 0 DUQUOIN 112 7x — 11 LOB– BENTON 5, DUQUOIN 7. ERR–Gus Gibbs, Martin Ward. 2B–Camdon Mercier, Brenden Fred, Austin Mansker, Jonah Spencer. 3B–Camden Youngman. SB–Cameron Rock, Gus Gibbs. BENTON IP H R ER BB SO HR Dakota Head (L) 3.67 10 9 7 3 4 0 Caleb Kearney 0.33 2 2 2 1 0 0 DUQUOIN A.J. Smith (W) 5.00 1 0 0 4 7 0 PB–Ethan Hughes. WP–A.J. Smith. SO–Zack Mocaby, Tyler Owens (3), Martin Ward, Dakota Head (2), Camdon Mercier, Travis Chapman, Nate Boss, Austin Mansker. BB–Cameron Rock, Gus Gibbs (2), Nathaniel Higgins, Camdon Mercier, Jacob O’Rourke (2), Jonah Spencer. LOCATION: DuQuoin High School WEATHER: Over Cast