Benton Rallies in Fifth to Edge Bloomsburg, 3-2
By: Carrie Miner Yaple | Sportzwire | April 23, 2025 | Photo courtesy Carrie Miner Yaple @v1sion_media
Benton, PA — Despite a fast start from Bloomsburg, the Benton Tigers mounted a comeback in the fifth inning to claim a 3-2 victory in a tightly contested baseball game on Tuesday afternoon.
The Panthers wasted no time getting on the board, plating two runs in the top of the first inning. Clayton Lunger led the early charge with a triple, collecting an RBI and later crossing the plate to give Bloomsburg the early momentum. Freshman Ryan Traugh also contributed to the quick start with a hit and a run scored.
However, that would be the extent of the Panthers’ offense, as Benton’s pitching and defense settled in and held Bloomsburg scoreless for the remaining six innings. The Tigers' pitching staff allowed just three hits all game, with Lunger responsible for two of them.
Benton, meanwhile, was kept quiet until the bottom of the fifth inning, when their bats came alive. They strung together a sequence of timely hits from Osborne (2 hits), Kolb, Zajac, Ribbie, and Koch, putting up all three of their runs in the frame to take the lead.
Defensively, Benton overcame two errors to preserve the win, while Bloomsburg committed just one miscue in the field.
The loss drops Bloomsburg in a close contest that showed both promise and areas for improvement, particularly in sustaining offensive pressure. Benton improves with the win thanks to their mid-game surge and clutch hitting.
Bloomsburg will look to bounce back in their next outing, hoping to build on their early success and string together a complete game performance.
