Abilene High junior Brady Bennett didn’t take his best stuff to the mound Friday against crosstown rival Cooper, but that didn’t stop the Eagles ace from pitching his team to yet another key win in its pursuit of the District 4-5A championship.

After struggling with his control during a four-run first inning, Bennett gutted his way through four more productive frames, and the AHS lineup found its stride in the middle innings to pull away for a 13-5 win at Cougar Field. 

The victory, which came on the heels of a 10-4 home loss to Wylie on Tuesday, improved the Eagles (12-14 overall) to 9-5 in league play, keeping coach Brad Harman’s squad in a tie with Lubbock Cooper and Lubbock Coronado atop the standings in a wild District 4-5A race.