The Benton Central Varsity Bison showed resilience and timely hitting Thursday night, building a strong mid-game lead and fending off a late push from Covington to earn a hard-fought 9-8 victory. Covington struck first in the opening inning, using a pair of ground outs to plate two runs and take early control. The Bison responded in the second inning, highlighted by a clutch RBI single to center field from Spencer Flook, evening the score at 2-2. After Covington regained a 3-2 lead in the top of the third, Benton Central answered in a big way. The Bison surged ahead 5-3 in the bottom half of the inning, capitalizing on disciplined at-bats. Tanner Pitstick drew a walk, Lucas Snyder delivered an RBI single down the right field line, and Flook added a sacrifice fly to bring in another run. Benton Central continued to build momentum in the fourth inning. Nolan Winkler launched a solo home run to left field, and Mason Schutter followed with an RBI double, extending the lead to 7-3. The Bison later pushed their advantage to six runs, setting the stage for a tense finish. Covington refused to go away quietly, mounting a late rally and narrowing the gap with a string of hits, but Benton Central held firm when it mattered most to secure the win. Carter Fox earned the victory on the mound, going six innings while allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits. He struck out five and walked just one. Schutter came on in relief and delivered a solid final inning, keeping Covington off the scoreboard to preserve the win. Offensively, the Bison pounded out 11 hits on the night. Lucas Snyder led the way from the nine-hole, going a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate. Flook was a key contributor in the middle of the lineup, driving in four runs while going 2-for-3. Schutter added two hits, and the Bison showed patience at the plate with six total walks. Defensively, Benton Central also turned a key double play. With the win, the Bison improve to 2-1 on the season and carry momentum into their next contest as they travel to Rensselaer Central on Friday, April 10th to open up Hoosier Conference play.