Chiefs pick up two wins

by John Fragodt, Sports Editor
The Benson Chiefs are 3-1 overall after falling to Montevideo, Saturday.  Benson opened up the season with a win over Montevideo, May 18 (14-4), and then took two more games from Appleton (11-5) and Ortonville (4-3) last weekend before falling to Montevideo (7-2).

Benson, 3-1 overall and coached by John Reardon, was set to play at 7 p.m., Wednesday (today) in Morris followed by a game in Benson at 4 p.m., Saturday against Dumont, and Sunday at 6 p.m. at Dawson.

• The Chiefs routed Appleton, 11-5, in a game played in Benson, Friday, May 24.  Luke Schwarz pitched the first eight innings to earn the win, and Brian Shaw came in to pitch one inning of relief.
Adam Steege, Brian Shaw, and Dan Martin each had two hits, while Cam Simmonds, Carl Hoffman, and Brennan Kent each had one, and Carter Fennell and Rick Jepma combined to score five runs.
Simmonds had a key two-run single in the second and Steege added a two-run single in the third.

•  Benson scored two early runs in the second inning for a 2-1 lead, and then held on for the 4-3 victory at Ortonville, Saturday, May 25.

Rick Jepma started on the mound for Benson, but left after one inning.  Andrew Simmonds pitched 3 2/3 innings of relief to earn the win, while Adam Steege pitched the final 4 1/3 innings to pick up the save.
Brian Shaw and Luke Schwarz, who both had two hits to lead the Chiefs’ offense, scored in the first inning, and Adam Steege scored in the fourth, but Ortonville scored two runs in the bottom-half of the fourth to tie up the game at 3-3.  Benson got the gamewinner in the fifth when Jepma led off with a hit, was forced at second on a fielder’s choice by Steege, and Steege came home later with the winning run on a single by Cam Simmonds.