Confident Dexter BB shocking SEMO foes with run to championship game

Earlier this week, second-year Dexter High School baseball coach Steve Edwards gathered his players following a workout at East Park in Dexter, and he spoke of his confidence in his team, and how he thought they could fare in the upcoming SEMO Conference Tournament.

His words have proven to be prophetic.

The No. 6-seed Bearcats upset No. 3-seed Notre Dame 9-8 in the tourney’s opening round on Friday and followed that effort up on Saturday with a shocking 4-2 rallying victory over No. 2-seed Poplar Bluff in the championship semifinal at Whitey Herzog Field in Jackson.

“It’s not a cliché,” Edwards said following the win over the Bulldogs, “they are all in with each other. Whatever guy is on the mound, we are going to support him. Whatever guy is at the plate, we believe in him.

“They have that mentality.”

That belief has defied logic over the past two days.

Notre Dame had beaten Dexter 22 consecutive times before Friday.

The Bearcats hadn’t played in a championship semifinal game in this tournament since 2012. And now, Edwards’ kids will be playing for a conference tournament title on Monday against top-seed Jackson (20-6) at 5:45 p.m. at Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau for the first time in 12 years.

“We are doing a lot better than I expected,” Bearcat senior Ryan Young said recently of this season, “because we have such a young team. A bunch of freshmen came in, and we lost a bunch (of players) last year. But I feel like we are doing pretty good.”

That is an understatement.

Dexter (11-8) has already matched the win totals of each of the past two seasons, and it has – at least – five games remaining this year.

On Saturday, Poplar Bluff junior thrower Noah Spain took a great game into the seventh inning, as he had limited the Bearcats to just one hit and no runs through six innings. In fact, Spain had faced the minimum three batters in five of those six innings, as his team led 2-0 entering Dexter’s final at-bat.

To start the seventh inning, Edwards pinch-hit junior Fisher Menley for Young, and he drew a lead-off walk from Spain.

Dexter junior Beau Carrier then connected for a single, and freshman Hunter Massey pinch-ran for Menley.

Massey was caught stealing, which seemingly was a momentum killer for the Bearcats in the eyes of many, but not those in the Dexter dugout.

“The last couple of days,” Edwards said of his tournament preparation, “we worked on fundamentals, and the kids were like ‘Coach, let’s do more.’

“The reason why I believe in this team is the looks in their eyes. When I talk to them, their eyes are just beamed on me. They are focused.”

Carrier had moved to second base on a single by junior Jackson Howard, and Edwards pinch-ran junior Cooper Buchanan for Carrier. Both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch before sophomore Gibson Booker brought both home to tie the game at two with a two-RBI single into right field.

Freshman Trey Pedigo connected for a single, which put runners at first and second base, and another Dexter freshman, Justus Lovelady, loaded the bases with a single to left field.

Second-year Poplar Bluff coach John David Patillo brought his ace, senior Dylan Bratcher, in to stymie the Bearcat rally, and it worked quickly, as Bratcher got Booker out at home on a fielder’s choice for the second out.

However, Dexter sophomore Houston Neeley had a massive hit, as he drove a pitch into center field for a two-RBI hit that scored Pedigo and Lovelady for a 4-2 margin.

Booker paced the Bearcats with two hits, two RBI, a stolen base, and a walk while Menley (one walk), Carrier (one hit), Howard (one hit, one run), Pedigo (one hit, one run), Lovelady (one hit, one run), freshman Jaxon Miller (one hit), and Neeley (one hit, two RBI) also contributed.

Carrier was dominant on the mound, as he held Poplar Bluff to just two earned runs and nine hits over a complete seven innings.

He didn’t walk a single Mule and struck out four batters.

Poplar Bluff, which hadn’t lost to a SEMO Conference team in seven games this spring, entered Saturday’s game having scored 47 combined runs in its previous four games.

Spain paced the Mules with two hits, as did sophomore Kade Huffman (one RBI) and senior Rylan Seesengood (one RBI).

Sophomore Bryce Dobbs had one hit in the loss while sophomore Marcus Tabanera (one hit, one run), and freshman Rion Tenchavez (one hit) were productive.

Spain allowed six hits over 6 1/3 innings and four earned runs while walking two and striking out six.

The Mules will face No. 4-seed Kennett (9-14) on Monday in the third-place game at 3:30 p.m. at Capaha Field.

The Indians fell to Jackson 6-2 in the other championship semifinal.

No. 8-seed Sikeston (4-15) and No. 6-seed Notre Dame (12-11) will play in the fifth-place game at 1:15 p.m.

Sikeston knocked off Cape Central 8-7 and the Bulldogs took care of New Madrid County Central 11-0.

The Eagles (2-16) and Tigers (8-19) will play for seventh place at 11 a.m.