'Tough road' continues for Dexter SB in 7-2 L to Oran

Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Dexter High School sophomore catcher Elizabeth Norris watches a hit fly into the air in a recent game at Bernie High School.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

The growing pains will probably outnumber the strong plays made this spring by a very inexperienced Dexter High School softball squad. However, the positives are what first-year Bearcat coach Christina Jenkins is going to try and focus on.

“I try to keep it positive,” Jenkins said recently. “A lot of these girls haven’t played since they were 12. So, we are starting at the bottom and teaching the fundamentals.”

That lack of experience was evident in Monday’s 7-2 loss to a much more experienced Oran squad, which played three seniors in its everyday lineup.

The Bearcats (0-4) managed to tally four hits but committed eight errors in the loss.

“We were literally out there teaching them how to throw on the first day of practice,” Jenkins continued. “I told them at the beginning of the season that we were going to keep it positive. We’re going to learn the fundamentals. We’re going to learn the game and it is going to be tough.

“It’s going to be a tough road.”

High-powered Bernie offense overcomes 'sluggish start' in latest W

Tom Davis

BERNIE -- The Bernie High School softball program spent all off-season preparing for this spring, and it has shown as the Mules have raced out to a 5-1 start.
"We worked in the winter with the time that we had," veteran Bernie coach Brad Botsch said of the allowable three hours each week. "We have started pretty strong, but I think that we'll be...

But there are signs of development in each game.

Against the Eagles (4-1), Dexter trailed just 2-1 through three innings before Oran scored three runs in the fourth inning (all with two outs), as the Bearcats two errors and gave up a triple to Oran senior Molly Spane.

A highlight for Dexter was the pitching of senior Amelia Jenkins (the coach’s daughter), who worked all seven innings and gave up just four hits and no earned runs.

“She has some experience at the travel ball level,” Christina said of Amelia. “She is mentally tough on the mound.”

Jenkins walked four Eagle hitters and struck out an astonishing 16 batters.

Offensively, Dexter got a couple of hits from junior Isabella Pittman in the clean-up spot.

Jenkins added one hit and a run scored while junior Alexis Sisk (one run, one walk), freshman Chloe Warren (one RBI), and sophomore Ava Schaefer (one hit) were also productive.

Jenkins threw 92 strikes in her 132 pitches.

Spane tallied a team-leading two hits to go with a couple of RBI while senior Bralynn Morgan (one hit, two runs), junior Kendall Burger (one hit, two runs), sophomore Ava Forehand (one RBI, one run, one walk), freshman Kolie Morgan (one run, three walks), and freshman Natalie Ramsey (one run) also contributed in the win.

The victory was Oran’s third consecutive, a streak in which it has totaled 38 runs scored.

Spane was also exemplary on the mound.

She threw a complete game and gave up just four hits, one earned run, walking one, and striking out an impressive 14 Bearcats.