Dexter’s Rabideau shuts down Pandas Defense helps Tigers improve to 10-0

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DEXTER – Chris Rabideau was cruising along so effectively Friday, even his own catcher didn’t know the Dexter right-hander was working on a no-hitter until the final inning – when the batter who broke it up told Mark Pullen.

“Chris had everything working for him today,” said Pullen after Rabideau settled for a one-hit shutout as the undefeated Tigers earned a 5-0 baseball victory over Lee Academy. “I didn’t even know he had a no-hitter going until [Gerry] Worster came up to bat in the seventh and told me.”

Worster then hit an 0-1 curve to right field for an opposite-field single – only the second ball off a Lee bat to reach the outfield – but he was stranded at second as Rabideau finished off an 87-pitch complete game that featured six strikeouts and 12 ground-ball outs.

“We know they’re a good fastball-hitting team, so I had to have my curve working,” said Rabideau, who shook off four walks to improve his record to 4-0. “I was able to throw the curve for strikes, and I had a great defense behind me making the plays.”

Dexter (10-0) played errorless defense, an effort led by shortstop Eric Day and third baseman Sam Bowers, whose stab of a sharp liner by Lee’s Derek Worster in the top of the third kept Rabideau’s no-hit hopes alive until the final moments of this 1-hour, 25-minute pitching duel.

Rabideau needed to be sharp, because Gerry Worster was nearly as effective for 10-2 Lee, the reigning Eastern Maine Class D champion whose only losses this spring have come against Class C Dexter. Worster (4-1) scattered five hits while striking out five and walking three.

This essentially was a game of one uprising, as the lower half of the Dexter batting order scratched out four runs in the bottom of the second. Credit part of that rally to aggressive baserunning, a trait Dexter has relied upon to overcome an offense that while productive has produced few extra-base hits so far this spring.

“Pretty much what we try to do is be really aggressive when we get on base and test the defense,” said Dexter coach Brent Day. “I know in that second inning I felt like I slid a couple of times.”

Sam Bowers drew a leadoff walk, stole second and moved to third on a bloop single to right by Pullen. Bowers then scored on a close play at the plate on an infield hit to the shortstop hole by Tyler Poirier, and Pullen then narrowly beat the throw home after a squeeze bunt by Aaron Woodman. Dan Beatham’s sacrifice fly to right plated Poirier, and Woodman scored the final run of the inning on a groundout by Ryan Martin.

“A lot of it has to do with [coach Day] getting after us about baserunning,” said Pullen, who along with Poirier had two hits for the Tigers. “A lot of people look past it, but it’s a big part of our game.”

“We had one bad inning,” added Lee coach Dave Hainer. “They didn’t hit the ball hard, but they hit a couple of Texas leaguers and we threw the ball around a little, and there were a couple of close plays at the plate that could have gone either way.”

Dexter added a pad run in the sixth. Poirier hit a one-out double and pinch-runner Rick Stewart moved to third on a passed ball before scoring on a pop single to center by Woodman.

TIGERS 5, PANDAS 0

Lee Academy (10-2) Dexter (10-0)

Player AB R H BI Player AB R H BI

Clark, 2b 2 0 0 0 Martin, 2b 2 0 1

King, rf 3 0 0 0 Day, ss 3 0 0 0

Thompson, ss 1 0 0 0 Rabideau, p 3 0 0

Houghton, c 3 0 0 0 McCarthy, 1b 2 0 0

Boulrisse, 1b 2 0 0 0 Bowers, 3b 2 0

G. Worster, p 2 0 1 0 Pullen, c 3 0

Doane, 3b 3 0 0 0 Poirier, dh 2 1 1

Crocker, dh 3 0 0 0 E. Woodman, lf 0 0 0

Stevens, cf 0 0 0 0 Stewart, pr 0 1 0

D. Worster, lf 2 0 0 0 A. Woodman, cf 3 2

Beatham, rf 2 0 0 1

Totals 21 0 1 0 Totals 22 5 5 5

Lee Academy 000 000 0 – 0

Dexter 040 001 x – 5

LOB-Lee Academy 5; Dexter 4; 2B-Poirier; DP-Thompson-Boulrisse, Day-Martin-McCarthy; SF-Beatham; SB-Martin 2, Bowers, McCarthy

Lee Academy IP H R ER BB SO

G. Worster (L, 4-1) 6 5 5 4 3 5

Dexter IP H R ER BB SO

Rabideau (W, 4-0) 7 1 0 0 5 6

WP-G. Worster; BK-Rabideau; PB-Houghton; T-1:25; ATT-125