Dexter nips Fort Kent in nine innings
FORT KENT — Fort Kent rallied to tie the game in regulation but came up short as Dexter Regional High School defeated the Warriors 3-2 in nine innings in a Class C North quarterfinal matchup on June 7.
Sixth-ranked Dexter scored first in the game at the top of the second inning. Then Pitchers Josh Soucy of Fort Kent and Jake Bickford of Dexter held off any further runs until the top of the fifth, when Dexter scored again.
Fort Kent, ranked third, rallied in the sixth-inning and sent two runners across home plate to tie the game.
Neither team was able to score in the seventh, sending the game into extra innings before Dexter won it with an unanswered run in the ninth.
“They’re home field and they have a lot of great athletes out there,” Dexter head coach Chad Graffam said. “We kept battling.”
Bickford, who pitched all nine innings, compiled 11 strikeouts, while Soucy had two strikeout in four innings. Jake Daigle struck out six for Fort Kent in the last five innings.
Eden Paradis led the Warriors with three hits, followed by Camden Jandreau with two.
Dexter’s Nathan Richards had two hits and Matt Richards added three.
The Warriors completed the season at 12-5, while Dexter improved to 13-4.
“We’re a confident bunch; they like to play and they like to battle,” Graffam said, mentioning the quarterfinal victory would help the Tigers prepare for the ensuing Class C North semifinal at No. 2 Mattanawcook Academy of Lincoln.
St. John Valley Times photo/Jessica Potila
STEALING A PLAYOFF VICTORY — Dexter’s Trever Richards steals second during a Class C North quarterfinal in Fort Kent on June 7. The sixth-seeded Tigers came back from northern Aroostook County with a 3-2 victory in nine innings over the No. 3 Warriors.
St. John Valley Times photo/Jessica Potila
COMPLETE GAME AND THEN SOME — Dexter pitcher Jacob Bickford kept Fort Kent to two runs during a June 7 Class C North quarterfinal in Aroostook County. Bickford tossed all nine innings for the Tigers and he struck out 11.