Bearcats nip Bulldogs in conference play

Logan Northern's throw to the plate nailed the potential game-tying runner and locked up a 5-4 win for the Dexter Bearcats over the Sikeston Bulldogs in SEMO Conference action Monday afternoon at the East park ball field.

Dexter was trying to hang on to a slim one-run lead in top of the seventh inning when with two outs, the Bulldogs Drew Harper singled and Tim Wilson walked to put the potential tying run at second base. Andrew Hick was next up and delivered a clean single to right field where Northern charged the ball and made a strong throw to Dexter catcher D. J. Dowdy. The throw was well ahead of Harper as he tried to score and it was an easy put out for Dowdy to end the game.

"I think he was full of adrenaline right there," Sikeston coach Alan Scheeter said of Harper's attempt to score. "He saw the base hit was made and he's a competitor and he's wanting to at least tie the game up and see if we can't give ourselves a chance to win it right there. And I think his adrenaline got the best of him and I probably held him up a little to late. And by then it was to late to lock it up and get back so he figures give it a shot. In that particular situation, I can live with that. Credit there right fielder. He made a good throw and the catcher made the catch. They made the play."

"It's only fitting that the game should end on 'Perry' throwing a guy out at the plate," Dexter head coach said about Northern, who entered the game following an injury to Cody Neldon in the fourth inning.

"Anytime you can beat Sikeston, it's a good win," Becker said. "They have good players and good coaches over there."

A leadoff walk issued by Dexter starter Alex Cliff came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Trent McMillan to give Sikeston the early 1-0 lead.

Dexter responded with two in bottom of the first, the first on a ground out by Jordan Miller and the second on an RBI single by Cliff.

The Bulldogs regained the lead in the top of the second with two (3-2) on a 2-RBI single by Trey Tagart.

Dexter again answered with a run in the home half of the second to tie the game at 3-all when Daniel Fitts singled to score Josh Overall who had walked.

Dexter took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the third when the 'Cats manufactured an unearned run. Miller's RBI single in the fifth scored Brad Potts for a 5-3 lead before Sikeston scratched out a run in the fifth on a run-scoring single by Drew Harper to make it a 5-4 game and set the stage for the late inning heroics.

Cliff picked up the win with relief help from Miller in the fifth. McMillan took the loss for Sikeston which slipped to a 6-4 record.

"(Cliff) struggled a bit early with his breaking stuff," Becker said. "But, overall, he did a very good job for us. He mixed his pitches up real well. Jordan Miller just came in and threw smoke. He was real effective. He basically stopped (Sikeston's) run in the fourth. Two strike outs and we were out of the inning. That was huge for us."

Dexter, now 7-3 on the season, will be back in action at home today against Charleston. The first pitch is set for 4 o'clock.