Dexter did what championship teams do when there is a title on the line – they hit the ball, fielded the ball and pitched the ball. Then they had a ball celebrating a District title on Monday at Skyline High School.
After winning its first District game on Saturday in easy fashion over Skyline (10-0), the Dexter baseball team faced SEC foe Pinckney in the championship game with a District title on the line. The two evenly matched teams battled early with both teams scoring a pair of runs in the first inning. The Dreads scored two more runs in the bottom of the second to take a 4-2 lead. The Pirates answered with a run in the top of the third.
With Dexter leading 4-3, the game was stopped because of the weather. The District final resumed on Monday at U-M’s Ray Fischer Stadium and the Dreadnaughts took all the suspense out of the game with a four-run fourth inning.
Dexter only allowed a single run the rest of the game and won the Skyline District title with a 9-5 victory over the Pirates.
The Dreadnaughts advance to Regionals where they will face Portage Northern at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, July 5 at Mattawan. The winner will play at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Kalamazoo College.
Dexter pounded out 14 hits in the win while holding Pinckney to six. The Pirates also committed four errors to only two for Dexter.
The Dreadnaughts scored four runs in the fourth inning. Kevin DeVoogd, Nate Kniesteadt, Nathaniel Fiegel and Andy Durand all drove in runs in the inning.
David Kreske earned the win for Dexter. The senior allowed just two hits and one run over four and two-thirds innings, striking out three. Ben Cabana started the game for Dexter. He surrendered four runs on four hits over two and a third innings, striking out one and walking one.
Mills, Kniesteadt, Kreske, and Evan Krolewski each racked up multiple hits for Dexter. DeVoogd went 3-for-3 at the plate to lead the Dreads in hits.
MAIN PHOTO COURTESY: Ryan Maki Photography
