NOTRE DAME TAKES STATE TITLE; BULLDOGS POST 3-1 VICTORY OVER MANSFIELD TO CAPTURE THE CROWN

COLUMBIA -- Several hundred fans cheered on Notre Dame High's Bulldogs during the Class 2A state baseball championship and the long trip from Cape Girardeau was certainly worth it.

The Bulldogs rewarded their supporters by winning the state title with a 3-1 victory over Mansfield Thursday.

"They had a great season and they deserve all this support," said Andy Lynch, who graduated from Notre Dame two years ago and was one of the more vocal Bulldog supporters during the two-day state tourney. "Everybody had a great time."

Notre Dame took advantage of several key Mansfield errors to score three unearned runs and that was enough to back the three-hit pitching of Tim Garner.

"The team really hung together this year and I'm really happy for them," said Notre Dame coach Jim Glastetter. "We really clicked in the playoffs. Everything just came together."

Glastetter has now led Notre Dame to three state baseball championships, the others coming in 1983 and 1984. The Bulldogs made five state trips to the Class 2A Final Four between 1983 and 1987.

Notre Dame finished this season with a 16-7 record.