JerryJarrell photo Dexter coach Brian Becker (No. 11) addresses a dejected Bearcats team after a 3-2 loss to Notre Dame in the Class 3, District 1 championship game Wednesday night. The 'Cats finished the season, 17-7

CAPE GIRARDEAU - The baseball season came to a heart-breaking conclusion for Bearcats Wednesday night at Notre Dame Regional High School as the Bulldogs defeated Dexter, 3-2, in the Class 3, District 1 championship game.

The loss caps a story book season for the Bearcats who had to replace seven senior starters lost to graduation, but surprise most observers with a 17-7 season record that included a share of the prestigious SEMO Conference regular season title.

Dexter led Notre Dame 2-1 going into the bottom of the fifth, but the Bulldogs strung together three of their seven hits in the frame to pull ahead, 3-2.

Dexter has come from behind in numerous games this season, but they couldn't reproduce the magic that had helped them reach the title game.

Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett handed the ball over to Colton Young to start the sixth and the hard-throwing right hander was able to hold the 'Cats in check to nail down the win.

"There in the last inning, Bob (Caleb Miller) hit the ball hard, and we hit a couple of at'm balls, and that was the ball game," Dexter coach Brian Becker said after the heart-wrenching loss. "But I couldn't be more proud of this kids. After losing seven senior starters off last year's team, I didn't know what to expect out of these guys, but I'll tell you what. We had kids step up and do a great job for me all year long.

"These seniors stepped up and were players for me this year," Becker continued. "I couldn't be more proud of a group of boys than I am these guys. They fought and battled all year long and at the end here, we just didn't have enough. But you know what? We've got nothing to hang our heads about. People were expecting us to be down this year, but these guys came out and played lights-out baseball all year long. And that's just a testament to their character."

Notre Dame scored an unearned run in the second to take a 1-0 lead, but Dexter rallied in the top of the third. With one out, Ben Mills and Mason Noe worked Notre Dame starter Mark Himmelberg for walks and Miller delivered an RBI single. Eric Windham continued the rally with a run-scoring single to give Dexter the lead.

Mills, who starter only his third game of the season for the 'Cats got the first out of the fifth before a double by Blake Gaddis. Mills got Himmelberg to pop out to shortstop, but Dylan Drury delivered an RBI-double tie the game and when Dexter missed the cut-off man, Drury was able to take third. The error proved costly as Austin Greer singled to drive in what proved to be the winning run.

Dexter was unable to score in the sixth, and when Colton Young led off the bottom of the inning with a single, Becker made a pitching change.

"Ben (Mills) threw a heck of a game," Becker said of his sophomore starter. "He had a couple of bad pitches in the bottom of the fifth, but other than that he threw outstanding. Ben had thrown a lot of pitches, and I talked to Bob (Miller) and Mason (Noe) between innings and told them I was going to have to make a tough decision if Ben got in trouble. Mason had been sick all day, and he was eating crackers and drinking sprite to try and find the energy to play, but when it came time to take Ben out, I handed the ball to Mason and told him, 'you've been doing it for me all long,' and sure enough, he came through again and got out of the jam."

Noe wiggled out of the one-on, no-out jam, but the 'Cats were set down in order in the seventh to end the game.

"We had a lot of good things happen for our program this year," Becker noted. "The good news is we've got some good ball players coming back. They got a bunch of experience this year and I'm looking for good things for them next year. I don't know if we'll be taking people by surprise next season."

Note: Dexter will lose four starting seniors to graduation. They are David Hessling, Eric Windham, Tyler Scott and Matthew Banken.