Scott City cashes in on chances to dump Dexter

What kind of day was it Thursday when Scott City and Dexter met for a high school baseball game at City Park in Scott City?

One only needed to show up for the final out of the game to see fortune was smiling on the home team.

Even when the Scott City center fielder dropped a potential game-ending fly ball, the Rams were not to be denied. They simply threw the ball back to the infield and nabbed a confused Dexter baserunner who looked hopelessly lost between second and third.

When Scott City third baseman Heath Pobst tagged out the runner as he retreated to second, it marked the final mistake by Dexter and preserved a 9-7 victory for the Rams.

"We capitalized on a few of their mistakes, there's no doubt about that," Scott City coach Lance Amick said. "You feel fortunate any time you beat Dexter. Any time you play Dexter and you can win, it's a good day."

Scott City's Jamie Scholz delivers a pitch during the first inning Thursday. (KRISTIN EBERTS)

Dexter came into the game with a three-game winning streak after dropping its season opener on a walk-off home run, but the Bearcats surrendered five unearned runs to the Rams.

"We were not good in all facets of the game," Dexter coach Ryan Becker said. "We swung at too many bad pitches, defensively we kicked the ball around, threw the ball around and we didn't run the bases well at all."

The Bearcats led 3-1 in the third inning when the game turned dramatically in Scott City's favor.

With two runners on and two out, Scott City designated hitter Alex Eichhorn lifted a towering pop fly to shallow right field. Dexter second baseman Tyler George, who had dislocated a finger on his glove hand a day earlier, backed out to make the catch, fighting a high sky, bright sun and wind. The ball caromed off George's glove as the first run of the inning scored. George had to leave the game after reinjuring his hand on the play.

Rams freshman catcher Ryan Fortner followed with an RBI double to right-center field to tie the game at 3-3.

Heath Pobst, the Rams' No. 8 hitter, then bounced a ball to third, but the throw was missed by the first baseman and two more runs scored. Wyatt Martin capped the inning with an RBI double to right field for a 6-3 lead.

Dexter tied the score at 6-6 with three runs off Scott City winning pitcher Jamie Scholz in the top of the fourth, but the Rams regained their three-run lead in the bottom of the inning.

Scott City scored its three runs on just two hits as the Bearcats again helped out with three walks and a hit batter. The Rams also stole a run in the inning as they caught Dexter napping on a double steal. Skylar Cobb scored from third when Eichhorn intentionally wandered off first base with two outs and the Bearcats took the bait.

"It was like a free run for us," Cobb said.

Corey Speakman relieved Pobst at the start of the fifth inning and struck out the side. However, after striking out the first batter in the sixth, Speakman ran into control problems. Dexter loaded the bases on two walks and a single, and after Speakman got the second out on a fly out to shallow center field, he walked in a run as the Rams' lead was cut to 9-7.

"It started getting away from me, but then I had to settle down," Speakman said.

Dexter stranded the bases loaded as Speakman struck out designated hitter Landon Hall to end the threat. Speakman struck out five in two innings before yielding to Cobb in the seventh.

"Speakman was great today," Fortner said. "He was really throwing the ball well."

Cobb, who pitched five innings in a win against Oran on Wednesday, struck out two batters in the seventh and obtained the final out on Dexter's running miscue.

Cobb finished with two hits, as did Fortner and Landon Robert. Scott City finished with 10 hits, while Dexter had 11 hits.

Dexter 012 301 0 -- 7 11 3

Scott City 105 300 x -- 9 10 2

WP -- Jamie Scholz. LP -- Ben Mills. 2B -- Sawyer Smith 2 (D), Josh Overall (D), Ryan Fortner (SC), Wyatt Martin (SC). Multiple hits -- Dexter: Bryn Hester 2-4, Smith 3-4, Landon Hall 2-4, Cody Stause 2-4; Scott City: Landon Robert 2-3, Skylar Cobb 2-3, Fortner 2-3. Records -- Dexter 3-2, Scott City 4-2.