Dexter BB coach is 'never going to give up,' as Bearcats stumble of late

As the Dexter High School baseball team enters the final stretch of its games in the 2023 regular season, it hasn’t been peaking like most Bearcat fans would enjoy seeing.

The Bearcats improved to 7-6 just 12 days ago following an impressive, rallying semifinal victory over Bernie in the Stoddard County Athletic Association Tournament. However, following Saturday’s 6-1 loss to Sikeston in the consolation bracket of the SEMO Conference Tournament at Cape Central, the Bearcats are now 7-12 overall, having dropped six consecutive games.

“I’m never going to give up on the guys,” first-year Bearcat coach Steve Edwards said recently. “They know that. They are never going to give up. If they see that and believe that, then the fight is always there.”

On Saturday, Dexter simply dug itself too big of a hole early against the Bulldogs (5-13), who will play Poplar Bluff (10-12) today in the consolation bracket championship game at Capaha Field at 1:15 p.m.

Sikeston built a 6-0 lead by the fourth inning and seniors Phillip Johnson and Noah Pruitt were dominating on the mound, as the Bearcats were limited to just five hits.

Despite the adverse situations, such as Saturday, that his team has created at times this spring, Edwards has preached to take a determined approach to each at-bat and each play.

“Their mentality,” Edwards said of his players, “is the next guy up. We use a lot of guys. We bring guys off the bench to run, to hit, and to play. When (the players) see the buy-in and the trust, that everybody has in everyone else, it is contagious, and people want to be a part of that.”

The Bearcats got lead-off hits in three of the first four innings on Saturday, but the Sikeston defense never allowed them to capitalize off those singles.

Johnson threw four innings and allowed just four hits and no runs. He struck out two Bearcat hitters and didn’t walk any.

Johnson threw 35 strikes in his 53 pitches, while Pruitt was just as consistent.

Pruitt threw 28 strikes in 47 pitches and overpowered the Dexter hitters with seven strikeouts in three innings and 12 batters that he faced.

Pruitt added a double on offense, as did Bulldog teammates Luke Gadberry and Rush Ault.

Sikeston senior Joseph Heckemeyer added a triple in the win.

Ault had two hits, one RBI, and one walk, while Gadberry (one hit), Heckemeyer (one hit, one run one RBI), Trace Sullivan III (two hits, two runs, one RBI), Pruitt (one run, one RBI, one hit, one walk), Carter Crow (two hits, two RBI), Brice Gordon (one hit), and Conner Wallace (two hits, one run) also contributed.

Sikeston starter Brock Wyman, who had been solid in recent outings, struggled to slow the Sikeston offense.

Wyman gave up six earned runs on 10 hits in four innings. He struck out three and walked two.

Bearcat relievers Gibson Booker and Jackson Howard did not allow a run in their work.

Booker was impressive in allowing just two hits, no runs or walks, and striking out four in 2 1/3 innings.

Howard didn’t give up a hit in getting the final two outs of the game.

Dexter senior Kaeden Kennedy had a double as part of his two-hit afternoon, and he also added the lone Dexter run.

Houston Neely drove in Kennedy, while Beau Carrier (one hit), Cole Nichols (one hit), Howard (one hit, one walk), and Wyman (one walk) also produced.

Dexter, which had beaten Sikeston last month 20-5, will visit Malden (2-15) on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.