Will Simpson pitched a gem to lead Dexter/PCHS to a 2-1 quarterfinal upset over top seed Foxcroft Academy on Thursday afternoon.
The freshman righty allowed one run on five hits and two walks and eight strikeouts in six innings. Noah Kain pitched a perfect seventh inning with two strikeouts to lock down the win.
Dexter scored two runs in the top of the first inning as they got three hits with the big one coming on a two run double from Kody Kimball. Foxcroft responded with one in the bottom of the first inning as Hayden Strout singled. Thomas Day doubled, and a Calvin Landry sacrifice fly scored Strout. Simpson got a strikeout to end the inning.
Lucas Sands shutdown the Tigers offense the rest of the way, as Dexter/PCHS only had two base runners after the first inning both reaching on errors. Sands struck out nine in five innings of relief. Strout started and gave up two runs on three hits and one walk, while striking out four in two innings.
On the other side, Simpson and Kain allowed only three hits after the first inning. The biggest Ponies threat came in the third inning as they had the bases loaded with one out, but Simpson struck out the final two batters to get out of the jam. The Tigers got out of the fourth inning when Kain threw out an attempted base stealer to end the frame. Foxcroft had a runner in scoring position with one out in the sixth inning, Simpson retired the final two batters. Kain retired the side in order in the seventh inning.
