By Andrew Cato, ShowMe Times Sports

The Dexter Tennis team struggled against the Cape Central Tigers on Tuesday (April 12) afternoon. The ‘Cats lost all three of their doubles matches, and only won one singles match in the contest.

In doubles, Tyler Miller and Brauck Burge were defeated 8-3 by Juan Pablo Jaramillo and Sam Stahly. Sam Ward and Kyle Willis faced Austin Shupert and Nicholas Van Hines, but lost 8-2. Dexter’s ‘bigs’, Hunter Mathis and Theo Gaul were handed an 8-2 loss by Prithvi Rudrappa and Alvaro Jose Jaramillo.

“Dexter lost 8-1 [in singles],” coach Leanne Dooley said, “but several matches were very close.”

Miller faced J.P. Jaramillo in singles, but lost 8-5. In the No. 2 match, Burge played Shupert and won 9-8, the ‘Cats only W in the contest. Ward was defeated 8-2 by Stahly, and Willis lost 9-8 to Rudrappa. Mathis was beaten by Van Hines, 8-1. Gaul lost a close match to Caleb Yeargain, 9-7.

The ‘Cats will hit the courts again on Tuesday (April 19) when they face the Charleston Blue Jays at home. The match is set for a 4:00 p.m. start.

Photo above
Brauck Burge returns a serve during his doubles match - with partner Tyler Miller - against Juan Pablo Jaramillo and Sam Stahly. Burge and Miller lost the doubles match 8-3, but Burge picked up the 'Cats' only win of the contest, in his close 9-8 singles match against Austin Shupert.

BREAKING NEWS
The Dexter High School softball game scheduled for this afternoon (Tuesday, April 12) has been cancelled due to weather conditions

According to DHS Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Chuck Powers, the tennis match with Cape Central and golf match at Jackson are still to go on as scheduled.

The baseball game at Charleston, set for a 4:00 p.m. start, will be pushed back to a Varsity-only contest to begin at 5:30 p.m., with the bus leaving at 3:30 p.m.

The softball game will not be rescheduled.

Story and photo provided by Murray State Sports Information

In a game that saw the momentum switch three times, it was Jacksonville State that scored the final run to take the game 10-9 Sunday (April 10) afternoon at Johnny Reagan Field.

A costly first-inning error helped open the flood gates for the Gamecocks (22-10, 6-3 OVC) as they pushed across five runs in the inning. After a leadoff single, the next batter hit a ball back to the mound that was thrown into center field. The next hitter a drew a walk to load the bases and Ben Waldrip drove in two runs with a single up the middle. Kyle Bluestein drove in a run with single back through the box, and the second error of the inning allowed two more runs to score.

The Breds (13-17, 4-4 OVC) got a run back in the bottom of the first as Brandon Elliott singled up the middle with one out and scored on a Jacob Rhodes single through the right side.

JSU added to its lead in the third as Bluestein led off the inning with a solo home run to left center.

MSU got back into the game in the third as Elliott singled to right center and Travis Isaak followed with a base hit up the middle. Two batters later, Brandon Eggenscwhiler walked to load the bases. A fielder’s choice from Paul Ritzheimer scored the first run, and Zach Noonan followed with a two-run double to left center. Cody Larson capped off the four-run inning with a bloop single to right center.

A solo home run just inside the left-field foul pole by Scott Underwood helped push the lead back to two.

A costly Gamecock error in the fourth helped the Breds push across four runs and take their first lead of the game. After the first two guys were retired, Eggenschwiler walked and Ritzheimer singled up the middle. Noonan plated a run with a single to right center, before Larson hit a grounder to shortstop that was flipped to second and dropped, allowing a run to score. Frey and Stetson made them pay be hitting back-to-back RBI singles.

The Gamecocks pushed across a run in the fifth as a single and walk put two on with two outs, and Andrew Bishop blooped an RBI single to right center.

JSU regained the lead in the seventh as Bluestein doubled to left center and later scored on a wild pitch with two outs. After back-to-back walks, Coty Blanchard delivered an RBI single to center field.

The Breds had a chance to tie the game in the ninth as Drew Pixley delivered a leadoff pinch-hit single to left. After a sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch, Elliott lined out to center on a diving catch to end the game.

Cameron Finch (0-2) took the loss after allowing one run on one hit and two strikeouts over 2.2 innings. Hunter Rivers (6-1) picked up the victory after allowing three hits and striking out three over three innings. Todd Hornsby (10) picked up the save after allowing one hit and fanning two over two innings.

Elliott led the offense by going 3-for-6 with a pair of runs scored. Noonan went 2-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored, while Frey went 3-for-4 with an RBI.

The Breds return to the diamond Wednesday evening as they travel to face Western Kentucky. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

BREAKING NEWS

The Dexter High School baseball and softball games scheduled for this afternoon, Monday, April 11, have been cancelled due to weather conditions

According to DHS Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Chuck Powers, the softball team will practice this afternoon in the high school gym from 3:15-44:30 p.m. The baseball infield players will practice in the Bearcat Event Center and outfielders at Southwest Elementary.

The softball game will not be rescheduled; the baseball can has been rescheduled for 4 p.m., Friday, April 15 at Sikeston.

Report Provided By Missouri Department of Conservation

MDC offers turkey hunting safety tips
Turkey hunting is getting safer, thanks to the efforts of volunteer hunter-education instructors.

JEFFERSON CITY–When hunters head out for the opening day of Missouri’s spring turkey season April 18, they will have a lot on their minds, including weather, equipment and of course gobblers. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) wants them to add one more item and put it at the top of their lists – safety.

Safety clearly has moved up on turkey hunters’ priorities in the past 25 years. In 1986, MDC recorded 31 firearms-related incidents during the spring turkey season. Two were fatal. Contrast that to last year, when only six hunters were injured during the season, and none died.

The difference, according to MDC Hunter Education Coordinator Tony Legg, is hunter education, which became mandatory in Missouri in 1987. Since then, the number of safety-trained hunters has increased by approximately 30,000 annually. The results have been dramatic.

“From 1985 through 1994, we averaged a little more than 17 firearms-related incidents per year during the spring turkey season,” said Legg. “Over the past 10 years, the average has been just six a year, and over the last five years, the average has been fewer than five per year. That is amazing progress.”

Amazing or not, Legg says spring turkey hunters still are more likely to be hurt in firearms-related incidents than those who pursue other species, including deer. Only two deer hunters were injured by other hunters during the 2010 firearms deer season, compared to six during the spring turkey season. Furthermore, deer hunters outnumber turkey hunters approximately four to one. If firearms deer hunters were hurt at the same rate as spring turkey hunters, Missouri would have had 25 deer hunting injuries.

Legg said hunter education instructors will not be content until the number of turkey hunting injuries falls to zero. However, he said it is important to keep the dangers of turkey hunting in perspective.

“Last year, only one of every 20,000 spring turkey hunters was injured in a firearms incident,” said Legg. “That’s a one in .00005 chance. It is a small risk, much like the risk we take when driving or riding in a car, knowing that thousands of people die in traffic accidents every year.”

Legg said smart motorists wear seatbelts and practice defensive driving techniques to reduce their risk of injury. In the same way, wise turkey hunters wear hunter orange clothing and practice defensive hunting.

“Turkey hunters most often are injured when another hunter mistakes them for game or does not know they are in his or her line of fire,” said Legg. “Decades of deer-hunting experience have proven that wearing hunter orange reduces the frequency of such incidents dramatically.”

Legg said turkey hunters don’t need to wear hunter orange all the time to reap safety benefits. Instead, he recommends wearing an orange vest and hat when moving between hunting spots, then hanging the garments on a tree when calling. This alerts other hunters to your presence.

Legg said hunters should always wrap turkeys in hunter orange when carrying them out of the woods.

“Walking through the woods in camouflage clothing while carrying a gobbler in plain sight is asking for trouble,” he said.

Other defensive hunting tips include:

• Choose calling locations that offer a clear view to the front and sides so you know if other hunters approach.
• Sit with your back against a tree at least as wide as your shoulders for protection if a hunter behind you shoots at a turkey and catches you in his line of fire.
• Remain in the immediate company of hunting partners. Accidents often occur when hunting partners separate and lose track of one another’s locations.
• Never assume you are the only hunter in the area. Legg says most turkey hunting accidents occur on private property, where hunters don’t expect to meet other hunters.
• Use gobble calls with extreme caution, since these make you sound like a target.
• Don’t wear clothing or take any item to the woods that is white, blue or red. These colors are associated with the head of a turkey gobbler.

Missouri’s lifesaving hunter education program is staffed almost entirely by unpaid volunteer instructors. Legg calls them “the unsung heroes of hunting.”

“These dedicated men and women save lives every year and spare Missourians the heartache of hurting friends and family members or being hurt in hunting accidents. It’s impossible to thank them adequately for what they do. Fortunately, they do it for the love of hunting. Knowing their work makes a difference is all the thanks they need.”

For more information about hunter education classes, visit
" onclick="target='_blank';">http://mdc.mo.gov/node/3477.

MDC also has programs to help aspiring hunters and encourage hunting mentorship. For more information, visit" onclick="target='_blank';">http://mdc.mo.gov/node/10054.