GLADBROOK - There was no need for sign-stealing or any other sort of baseball espionage Thursday night in Eldora. Scott Benson was supplying a steady dose of heat, and South Hardin couldn't do anything about it.

The Gladbrook-Reinbeck ace struck out 13 of the 15 Tigers he faced. His 10-0, five-inning masterpiece became the 31st perfect game of any length in state history.

The manner in which Benson completed the perfect outing may be as impressive as the feat itself. He elected to throw fastballs exclusively for the final three innings.

"The curveball, I couldn't control it very well," Benson said. "They kept fouling off and missing the fastball, so I decided to stick with that."

Benson's success with one pitch is what stands out in the mind of fellow pitcher and teammate Drew Babinat.

"Just the fact that he can blow heat by anybody and not even think twice about it is kind of crazy," Babinat said.

The perfect game marked Benson's second no-hitter this season. He surrendered one walk, but didn't allow a hit on opening day. Babinat followed that effort with a no-hitter of his own. The duo is the eighth set of teammates to pitch back-to-back no-hitters in state history.

After Benson's perfect game on Thursday, Babinat nearly did it again. He threw a one-hitter on Saturday. Senior Brett Bengen is also a four-year starting pitcher who completes the Rebels' veteran rotation.

"It's always a constant to see who's got better stats," Babinat said. "Scott just threw a perfect game, so I'm working on catching him."

Benson has been the one who's set the pace throughout his four seasons as a Rebels starter. Blessed with pinpoint accuracy, he's never walked more than 20 batters in a single summer.

"I think the team is aware that they're in a great position to win games when Scott's on the mound," Rebels' coach Caleb Hamer said. "He rarely walks people and he works at a good pace, which keeps the defense on its toes."

Benson became one of his team's go-to pitchers his sophomore season and took the mound when Gladbrook-Reinbeck made its first state tournament appearance in 19 years.

After pitching to contact early in his career, Benson's added considerable velocity. His control of a fastball - estimated in mid-80 mph range - has allowed him to become one of the top strikeout pitchers in the state.

Benson ranks third among Iowa's preps with 90 strikeouts and is averaging 2.05 per inning pitched. The standout's ERA is 0.48 with opponents hitting .116. He's surrendered just seven walks.

With pitching numbers like that, it may come as a surprise the extent to which Benson takes pride in his hitting and ability to field the shortstop position. He's always been a consistent presence atop the Rebels' lineup and is batting .423 this season with five home runs and 17 RBIs.

"I probably hit a heck of a lot more than I pitch," Benson said of his practice routine. "To be honest, I've always wanted to play in the field and hit a lot more than pitch."

However, it's Benson's success as a pitcher that will leave quite a legacy on Gladbrook-Reinbeck baseball.

"I think Scott, when he graduates, will walk off the mound for the last time as the best pitcher we've seen at G-R," Hamer said.

"It's going to be fun to look back on," Benson added. "Growing up watching all the pitchers that my (older) brother played with and always looking up to them - it's going to be a nice deal to be compared with them."

Benson and Babinat both plan to play baseball at Wartburg College next season. A multi-sport all-stater, Benson said he may try out for the Knights' basketball team down the road.