Dexter falls to Bulldogs, but Kennedy is showing signs that he is back

The Dexter High School baseball squad came back down to Earth on Tuesday after earning a surprising 16-5 season-opening win at Poplar Bluff on Monday.

The Bearcats fell 11-6 at East Park in Dexter to Portageville (7-0), which was the 2022 MSHSAA Class 2 state runner-up.

Dexter senior catcher Kaeden Kennedy joined sophomore Jackson Howard in leading the Bearcats (1-1) with a couple of hits apiece, which in the case of Kennedy, showed that his health is no longer a concern following a severe knee injury suffered during football season last fall.

“Kaeden is just a grinder,” first-year Dexter coach Steve Edwards said. “He’s worked hard. In the off-season, (the players) bought into it. They were there. They wanted to get better.”

Kennedy threw three innings in Monday’s win before going behind the plate, and Edwards said because of Kennedy’s work in the off-season, neither role was in question entering this season.

“He’s a stud catcher,” Edwards said, “but I thought he did a great job on the mound. His legs were no problem. He was ready to go.”

The Bulldogs opened Tuesday’s game with four runs in their initial at-bat and led comfortably throughout most of the night.

Kennedy drove in teammate Ryan Young in the third inning to pull the Bearcats to within 4-1, but Portageville added another run in the fifth to make it a 5-1 margin, as Bulldog senior Thomas Frakes reached on a fielder’s choice, before advancing on an error and a wild pitch. He scored on an RBI single from William Warren.

The Bulldogs appeared in control until the sixth inning, when things went awry.

Kennedy led off the inning with a single, while Beau Carrier was hit by a pitch. Kennedy and pinch-runner Hunter Larsen moved to third base and second base, respectively on a wild pitch, before Cole Nichols walked to load the bases.

Kennedy scored on a fielder’s choice, which ultimately was the first of five runs scored by the hosts, as Dexter took a 6-5 lead.

“We are a young team,” Edwards said, “but fundamentals are part of the game that people kind of sleep on sometimes. I believe that if you work on the fundamental aspects of the game, and you understand them, anything can happen.”

That theory applies to Portageville, as well.

In their final at-bat, the Bulldogs drew five walks, took advantage of an error, and connected for three singles, as they cruised to the win.

Portageville senior Donny Benthal (two runs, one RBI, one walk), Frakes (three runs, three RBI), and William Warren (one run, two RBI) each had two hits in the win, while Aaron Dunlap (one hit, two runs, one RBI, two walks), Ronald Adams (one run, one RBI), Carson Bradley (one run, one RBI), Jayquan Bogan (one run, one hit, one RBI), Conner Johnson (one walk), and Xayvion Bogan (one hit, one RBI, one walk) also contributed in the win.

The Bearcats got one run and an RBI out of Kennedy, while Howard (two RBI, one run), Nolan Alford (one hit, two RBI), Young (one run, one hit), Nichols (one run, one walk), Brock Wyman (one run, one RBI), and Logan Jelinek (one run, one walk) were also productive for Dexter.

Bradley threw five innings and allowed three earned runs while giving up four hits and striking out eight Bearcats.

Benthal worked the final 1 1/3 innings and struck out three while giving up one hit.

Wyman worked four innings in the Bearcat start and allowed three earned runs and struck out two while walking one.

Gibson Booker threw two innings of relief for Dexter and gave up two hits, one earned run, and one walk.

The Bulldogs will visit South Pemiscot (1-2) today at 1 p.m.

Dexter will host Bernie (1-2) on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.