Bernie secures first district softball title with 8-5 extra-inning win against Dexter

Note: A photo gallery of Tuesday's district tournament action is available at this link: View Photos Here

BERNIE, Mo. - The first district softball championship game in school history for the second-seeded Bernie Mules and top-seeded Dexter Bearcats turned out to be one for the ages Tuesday night at Bernie High School.

Extra innings were necessary to determine a winner as the teams traded the lead three times.

Dexter plated a run in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie things up at 5-5 before Bernie responded with three runs in the top of the eighth inning to secure an 8-5 eight-inning win against Dexter.

"It's always fun to win a district championship," Bernie coach Brad Botsch said of his program's first district softball title in school history. "It's good to see the smiles on their faces and we worked hard. We've got a lot of young kids out there. All year long we've had three freshmen outfielders. They've gotten steadily better as the season went on. We've had a lot of close games, played a lot of good teams and it's really cool to see the smiles on their faces from winning a district championship."

Bernie loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the eighth inning when Blakely Bradshaw and Kayli Tanner drew back-to-back walks and Morgan Baker followed by reaching base on an error.

Dexter starting pitcher Kendra Stevenson, who went the distance in the circle, got Lari Spitzer to ground into a 1-2 fielder's choice for the first out of the frame.

Tori Lowrey followed with a bloop hit to right field that drove home a runner from third. A second run scored as the play continued and a throwing error was made as the ball was relayed back to the infield.

Bernie's next hitter Jordan Ellenburg padded the lead to 8-5 with a sacrifice fly to right field.

"We could have kind of let our shoulders drops a little bit, but we buckled down and finished out the inning without them scoring," Botsch said. "Getting the three in the eighth was huge. We had some good at-bats and were able to scratch out a few more runs."

Bradshaw retired three of the four Dexter hitters she faced in the bottom of the eighth inning to secure a complete-game victory.

"I felt like we had a few things not go our way," Dexter coach Chris Bolin said. "I felt a couple calls didn't go our way. That's just part of it. I tip my hat to Bernie. They are a great softball team and it was a battle. All-in-all as a coach I cannot ask for anything more than my players to come out here and just battle."

Dexter jumped on top 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning on a two-RBI double by Amber Spence.

Bernie tied the title game at 2-2 in the top of the second. Tanner had an RBI single in the frame and Baker collected the game-tying RBI when she grounded out with a runner at third.

Ellenburg gave Bernie its first lead at 3-2 when she hit a ground ball to drive home Lowrey in the top of the third. Lowrey preceded Ellenburg's at-bat by reaching base on an error.

Dexter moved back ahead 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth when Ashley Brown collected an RBI single and Halley Sielert followed by collecting another RBI on a ground out.

Bernie took a 5-4 lead in the top of the fifth after it loaded the bases with nobody out and Tatum Stone and Jescie McGuire followed by each collecting an RBI when they hit ground ball on the infield.

Dexter tied the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the seventh when Brittany Brown collected a leadoff single and later scored on an error.

The Bearcats had a runner called out for leaving third base early on a fly out to left field in the bottom of the fourth inning.

"I'm proud for the kids," Botsch said. "I thought we competed hard and Dexter overall played pretty well. We beat them by the 10-run rule in the county tournament a couple weeks ago and they beat us [7-4] early in the year. We were just glad to come out on top. Our kids battled when they needed to the most."

Spence finished 2 for 4.

Lowrey finished 3 for 4 and Ellenburg was 2 for 4.

"You can really depend on Tori and Jordan," Botsch said. "Jordan had back surgery about three weeks ago and she is just toughing it out because she wants to play. She's giving it everything she's got and really hit the ball well since she came back. Tori's probably batting .580 now and Jordan's .600 since she's been back. They really carried us, but we got key at-bats up and down the lineup by manufacturing a run or hitting the ball to the right side and those are just as important."

Bernie (12-8) beat third-seeded Bloomfield 15-1 in five innings in its district semifinal Tuesday to advance to the title game.

The Dexter fan base will have a final opportunity to watch its three seniors on the softball diamond Friday when the Bearcats host Caruthersville.

"I just told them I can coach for another 20 years and won't have a better group," Bolin said of his seniors. "They are a great group of kids. I've had them every year since I've been at Dexter and they are phenomenal competitors."

The winner of District 3 will play Bernie at Bernie in a state playoff game Monday. Teams competing in District 3 are top-seeded NMCC, second-seeded Risco, third-seeded Malden, fourth-seeded Gideon and fifth-seeded Campbell.

"That's cool," Botsch said of the upcoming state playoff game. "I'm glad the sectional is here . . . There are some decent teams down there. I think New Madrid and Malden are in that. We beat New Madrid and played Malden and they got us early, but we think we've got as good of a chance as anybody and we'll be excited to host that on Monday. "

DUSTIN WARD - dward@dailystatesman.com The Bernie softball team with its district championship plaque following its wins against Dexter and Bloomfield in the district softball tournment Tuesday at Bernie High School. Bernie will host a state playoff game Monday against the winner of District 3.

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No. 2 Bernie 8, No. 1 Dexter 5 (8 Innings)

BHS 021 020 02 - 8 8 4

DHS 200 200 10 - 5 5 6

WP - Blakely Bradshaw. LP - Kendra Stevenson. 2B - Amber Spence (D), Tori Lowrey (B), Jescie McGuire (B). Multiple hits - Bernie: Lowrey 3-4, Jordan Ellenburg 2-4; Dexter: Spence 2-4.

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No. 2 Bernie 15, No. 3 Bloomfield 1 (5 Innings)

BLO 001 00 - 1 2 6

BER 364 2x - 15 11 2

WP - Blakely Bradshaw. 3B - Lari Spitzer (BE), Tori Lowrey (BE). 2B - Morgan Baker (BE), Lowrey (BE), Tatum Stone (BE), Kayli Tanner (BE). Multiple hits - Bernie: Spitzer 2-4, Lowrey 3-4, Tanner 2-4.