DEXTER – Veteran Dexter High School softball coach, Starla Pulley, earned her paycheck in a recent 12-9 win over Bernie at East Park.
Not only does Pulley’s team lack experience this spring, but things began to go awry in the game even before the opening pitch.
One of the four seniors that Dexter has available is catcher Abbie Sandage, who got hit in the eye prior to the game starting but tried to battle through the injury for the sake of the team.
“She got to the point where she began to have trouble seeing,” Pulley said.
At that point, Pulley had to start moving positional pieces around, all the while, Bernie was taking no prisoners in staking itself a 7-3 lead in the fifth inning.
“We had to change everyone in the field,” Pulley said. “We had to have a new catcher (freshman Liz Norris), that meant someone else in centerfield, someone else at second, and someone else at third…”
All of that instability not only explained the deficit but also the four Bearcat errors that led to the Mules taking advantage of them.
“It took us an inning or two to get settled,” Pulley explained.
At one point, Pulley called a timeout and went to the mound for a meeting with the entire lineup, including the outfielders.
“I had to coach them a little bit,” Pulley said.
As Dexter (1-1) was getting settled down, Bernie (2-4) began to struggle.
Holding the four-run advantage in the fifth, the Mules fell apart in the bottom half of that inning and ultimately gave up eight runs to the Bearcats, who took an 11-7 lead into the final two innings.
“We were up 7-3,” Bernie coach Brad Botsch said, “and then we walked 75 people.”
Actually, only eight Dexter batters got passes in the critical inning, but Botsch’s point was well taken.
“We don’t have a senior on the team,” Botsch said, “and we are playing one junior (Abbygail Powell), everybody else is a freshman or sophomore.”
The Mules had five freshmen in their lineup, including pitcher Mikalyn Kirkwood, who threw all six innings.
“It is just part of the growing process,” Botsch said.
Kirkwood ended up striking out 11 Dexter hitters and only allowed six hits, which showed her potential. However, Bernie gave up 15 walks and all 12 runs were earned.
“It’s frustrating,” Botsch said, “because I thought that we really grinded out the runs that we got.”
Bearcat junior pitcher Amelia Jenkins allowed just four earned runs in seven innings while throwing a two-hitter and striking out 10 batters.
She ended the game by giving up six walks.
“We only have, like, three seasoned players,” Pulley said. “Everyone else is new to the game or a freshman. I haven’t played them much. Because we don’t have a middle school program.”
Both Botsch and Pulley said the players’ effort and attitudes have not been in question, it is simply going to take time before both teams play as sharp as their potential shows.
Jenkins was not just solid on the mound, she also paced her team offensively with two hits, four RBI, one walk, and a run scored.
Sophomore Payton Short added a Dexter hit, while Ava Schaefer (one RBI, one walk, one run), Kinleigh Chappell (three runs, one hit, one RBI, three walks), Molly Simmons (two walks, two runs), Isabella Pittman (three walks, one run), Emily Hester (two runs, one hit, one RBI, two walks), Norris (one run, one RBI, two walks), and Meredith Benton (one run, one hit, two RBI, one walk) also contributed.
Bernie sophomore Macie Botsch got one of the two Mule hits, while sophomore Kerri Botsch got the other and also scored a run.
Abbygail Powell added two walks and two runs for Bernie, while Kirkwood (one walk, two runs), Kealea Powell (one walk, two RBI), Mackenzie Meese (one RBI, one run), Kalli Mason (two runs, one RBI, one walk), and Blair Pleimling (one run, one walk) was also productive.
Bernie will travel to Advance (with Bell City) today at 4:30 p.m.
Dexter will visit Oran today at 4:30 p.m.
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