Jerry Jarrell photo Dexter's Cody Stause works in relief in the bottom of the third inning during the Bearcats' 7-6 loss on the road to New Madrid County Central Tuesday.

NEW MADRID - Dexter has produced more than its share of late inning heroics that resulted in walk-off wins this season and now the Bearcats know how it feels to be on the losing end of one of those games.

Kyle Marshall's single over a drawn in infield sent Jarrett Allen sliding home with the winning run as New Madrid County Central pulled out a 7-6 walk-off win in the seventh inning at home over the Bearcats Tuesday.

The loss knocked Dexter out of the running for the out-right SEMO conference regular-season title, an honor the 'Cats will mostly share with one or two other league rivals when it is all said and done.

"We would have liked to have won the title outright, but we'll probably be sharing the title with a couple of pretty good ball clubs and that's something to still be proud of," Dexter coach Brian Becker said after the game. "We just didn't get it done today (Tuesday). We've been winning last-inning games all season long, and today we were on the losing end of it. That's the way it goes sometimes."

After two scoreless innings, Dexter plated the game's first run in the third on a two-out RBI-single by Mason Noe that scored Tyler Scott, who led off the frame with a single. New Madrid quickly answered with a two-out 3-run rally in the home half of the third off starter Eric Windham to take the lead.

Singles by Justin McKinney and Dylan Harris set the table for clean-up hitter Josh St. Mary who drilled a 3-run shot over the right field fence.

The Eagles worked Windham for three consecutive walks, before Becker elected to go with left-hander Cody Stause to try and get out of the inning. Stause delivered with a strikeout of Matt Williams looking, but the Bearcats found themselves playing catch-up for the rest of the game.

"We didn't throw enough strikes," Becker pointed out. "We allowed 10 walks today. New Madrid, no matter what their seed is in the upcoming district tournament, is a good team. They have some kids that can swing the bat. They hit the ball in crucial situations, and there big boy, St. Mary, stepped up and hit the home run and they were off and running.

"I'm proud of our kids," Becker continued. "We battled back. We were down 3-1, then down 6-3, but we battled back just like we have all year long. I believe if we had been the home team, and they had scored four that inning, we would have come back to score four or five."

"The kids I have are a good group of kids," he added. "They work hard, but today you have to tip your hat to New Madrid. They were the better ball club today."

Dexter chipped away at the 3-1 deficit with a RBI-single by Scott in the second and a RBI-single by Caleb Miller in the fifth to tie the game.

But just as soon as Dexter closed the gap, New Madrid was back at it, scoring three in the fifth to pull ahead, 6-3. Three walks and a single gave the Eagles a 4-3 advantage and ended Straus' time on the mound as Becker went to Noe in relief. Noe entered with the bases loaded and just one out, and was quickly greeted by a 2-run double up the middle by Marshall. Noe got McKinney to ground back to the mound where he fired to second to start a 1-6-3 double play to get out of the inning.

It appeared the Bearcats were headed for another storybook finish with a 3-run sixth to tie the game at 6-all.

Windham, Matt Banken and David Hessling strung three singles together with no outs to load the bases before Scott worked reliever Kyle Marshall for a run-scoring walk. With one out, Mills hit into a fielder's choice that plated Dexter's fifth run and Miller's single tied the game, before Mills tried to score the go-ahead run but was thrown out at home to end the inning.

After Dexter went down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh, Matt Carter led off the home half of the frame with a double down the left field line. Williams grounded out, and Cling Tanner reached on an error before Marshall hit drove in Carter with the winning run.

Dexter out-hit New Madrid for the game, 10-8.

The win improves New Madrid's record to 5-9 overall and 2-4 in SEMO conference play. Dexter slipped to 14-6, 6-2 in league action.

"I told them on the bus, it was a disappointing loss," Becker said, when asked how he was going to refocus his team for upcoming district action. "How are you going to respond to it? Are we going to end the season 14-6 with a loss in the first round of the district, or are we going to be 19-5 and district champs? What are you going to do? Are you going to pout, are you going to step up. I think we have a bunch of kids that are going to step up."

The Bearcats will be back in action again today when they will host the Kennett Indians at 4 p. m. at Dexter's East Park ball field.