PCHS rallies in seventh to win at Dexter
DEXTER — Trailing 3-1 in the top of the seventh of a May 10 game at Dexter Regional High School, the Piscataquis Community High School baseball team was down to its final out with the bases empty. Following a pair of singles, the Pirates drew four consecutive walks to go ahead 4-3 and then hold on with a perfect seventh inning as sophomore pitcher Noah Kain finished the complete game and the team improved to 6-2 — winning for the fifth time in its last six contests.
The Tigers (the team fell to 2-7) got two groundball outs to start the top of the seventh. PCHS sophomore Brady Gaw came to the plate next and he made contact with the baseball rolling on the infield grass. Gaw beat the throw from shortstop to get on first base safely.
Senior Ben Higgins followed by dropping a single just inside the leftfield line for the second hit of the inning, after Dexter senior Will Spratt had held batters to just one hit in the first six innings.
UMPIRE CONFIRMATION — Dexter’s Will Spratt looks to make sure he was indeed called safe after sliding in ahead of the throw to PCHS catcher Scott Chadbourne on a sacrifice bunt by Kody Kimball during the sixth inning of a May 10 game in Dexter. Spratt’s run put the Tigers ahead 2-1, but the Pirates would score three runs as part of four straight walks in the seventh to win 4-3.
Kain helped his own cause on the mound by drawing a walk to load the bases as Dexter made a pitching change with junior Willis Rienhardt taking over for Spratt.
On a 3-1 count, senior Scott Chadbourne drew a walk to bring Gaw home and make the score 3-2. Gaige Tracy then walked on four pitches and with no place to put him, Higgins came home for the tying run at 3-3.
Dexter switched pitchers for a second time with junior Chase Farnsworth taking the baseball to face Tanner Tracy.
TAGGED OUT — Caleb Littlefield of PCHS tags Dexter’s Isaiah Robinson out before he can get back to third base during the bottom of the fifth at Dexter on May 10 as Dexter head coach Rex Webb looks.
Tracy got a 3-0 count and pitch No. 4 was also outside of the strike zone as Tracy kept his bat steady to earn a bases on balls. His trip to first base enabled Kain to score from third to put PCHS ahead at 4-3. A fielder’s choice on a ball hit by Caleb Littfield ended the inning.
Kain entered the home half of the seventh at 95 pitches but he remained in the game with the Pirate defense getting a flyball out in foul territory toward the backstop by catcher Chadbourne and then an infield groundout with Gaw firing the ball from shortstop to Tanner Tracy at first for out No. 2.
Kain then finished off his complete game with his 12th strikeout of the day for the third and final out about 1 hour, 44 minutes after the game’s first pitch. He would finish the seven innings of work with three runs, eight hits, and one walk.
SWIPE LEFT — Dexter’s Zakary Adams slides safely into second for a stolen base before Chase Lander of PCHS can get the throw during the home half of the second on May 10. The visiting Pirates won 4-3 to earn a season sweep of the Tigers.
Kain and Spratt dueled for most the game as they combined to throw 13.2 of 14 innings.Spratt finished with four runs, three hits, four walks, and nine strikeouts in his 6.2 innings.
PCHS went up 1-0 in the third, sophomore Brady Ball scored on a fielding error, and Dexter would tie play in the fifth.
Sophomore Gabe Cupero led the home half of the fifth off with a double to deep leftfield. Sophomore Isaiah Robinson followed with a double to deep centerfield to drive in Cupero. These were the only two extra base hits allowed by the Pirates as Robinson finished 2-for-3 with a pair of runs driven in.
COMPLETE GAME — Noah Kain tossed a complete game for PCHS in a 4-3 victory at Dexter. Kain scattered eight hits and walked one while striking out 12.
An inning later Dexter went ahead 3-1. Sophomore Kody Kimball’s sacrifice bunt allowed Spratt to come home to put the team ahead 2-1.
Later with two outs Robinson dropped a single into centerfield and senior Zakary Adams scored from third to put Dexter ahead 3-1.
PCHS earned a 2024 season sweep of its neighboring rival — this baseball season the two programs are in different divisions with Dexter in C North and the Pirates playing in D South. In the season opener PCHS won vs. Dexter 4-2 on April 17.
BASEBALL
PCHS 4, Dexter 3
PCHS (6-2) 001 000 3 — 4
DEXT (2-7) 000 012 0 — 3
PCHS: Gaw 1-3 run; Higgins 1-3 run SB; Littlefield 1-3
Dexter: Robinson 2-3 2B two RBI; Spratt 2-3 run SB; Farnsworth 2-4 SB; Adams 1-2 2 SB run; Cupero 1-3 2B run
WP: Kain 7 IP 3 runs 8 hits 1 BB 12 K
LP: Spratt 6.2 IP 4 runs 3 hits 4 BB 9 K
LOB: PCHS 9 Dex 5