BIG HR CAPS BIG 8 TOURNEY; EFTINK BLAST LIFTS NOTRE DAME TO TITLE 7-6

After three games of hitting the ball all over Capaha Field for nothing more than long fly balls, Notre Dame freshman third baseman Josh Eftink was getting frustrated.

In fact, he said he was mad as he walked to the plate Saturday for his final at bat in the Cape Central Big 8 championship game against Sikeston with the score tied 5-5 in the seventh inning.

"I was trying to hit it to the shorter part of the field since all my other ones had been lining out around the 380 signs," Eftink joked in reference to the 380-foot signs in Capaha Field.

"I was getting pretty mad so I just wanted to hit it somewhere else," he said laughing.

Well, he did it.

`Somewhere else' proved to be a drive over the left field fence, just right of the scoreboard, for a two-run home run that gave the Bulldogs a two-run lead. Notre Dame held on in the bottom of the inning, after a close play at the plate, for a thrilling 7-6 championship victory.

The win was Notre Dame's second of the day, improving the Bulldogs record to 17-3. Notre Dame, behind the pitching of Ryan Legrand, beat Scott City 5-3 in a semifinal contest prior to the final. Sikeston, which beat Jackson 8-5 in the first semifinal of the day, left town with second place and a 9-7 record.

After hitting about five balls for long outs since the start of the Big 8 that would have left the park on most high school fields, Eftink was afraid his final blast might get run down again deep in the outfield.

"It felt great when it hit the bat, but I was just hoping it would carry far enough," Eftink said of his team leading-fifth home run. "I saw the outfielder keep walking back toward the fence so I kind of figured it was going to fly out there."

Eftink was one of several heroes for Notre Dame and one of several freshman that provided fantastic performances in the Bulldogs' three-game road to their first Big 8 title.

After freshman Brian Oberman's outstanding relief effort in Notre Dame's 4-1 win Friday over Dexter in the opening game of the tournament, classmates Eftink, outfielder Tom Wencewicz and catcher Scott Reinagel all played key roles in the Bulldogs final victory.

Trailing 5-4, Wencewicz started the Notre Dame rally in the top of the seventh with a double just inside the bag at first that kicked up chalk.

Sikeston starter Jared Self, who went the distance in the loss to drop his record to 0-3, struck out Chris Canfield for the first out of the inning. But when a slow groundball by Dan Wittenborn went through the legs of Sikeston second baseman Justin Patterson, and into right field for an error, Wencewicz raced around from second to tie the score 5-5.

Eftink followed Wittenborn with his one out homer to put Notre Dame ahead 7-5. But the game, and excitement, were far from over.

Notre Dame starter Keith Hamm (2-0) allowed the first two batters to reach in the bottom of the seventh. With no outs, Notre Dame coach Gregg Muench brought in Canfield from left field to relieve Hamm after six innings of work.

Canfield was greeted with a line drive to right-center field by Sikeston clean-up batter Mark Silverthorn. But center fielder Trent Summers made a sprawling catch for the first out of the inning.

"I got a good jump on (the ball) and saw it pretty good," Summers said of his game-saving play. "I knew Tommy (Wencewicz in right field) was behind me so I figured I'd go all out. I just laid out and got it."

After a walk loaded the bases and wild pitch scored a run, Sikeston's Brad Heacox hit a chopper to second baseman Nathan McGuire. McGuire rifled a shot to Reinagel in front of the plate as the base runner from third, Clay Hooper, closed in as the potential tying run.

Hooper beat the throw home, but Reinagel shielded Hooper off the plate as he slid and made the tag for the second out of the inning.

Reinagel, who in the fifth inning made a tough play at the plate on a short-hopped thro by Canfield in left field to cut down another runner, did another excellent job in the seventh.

"Nathan gave me a good shot and I was trying to keep (the base runner's) foot off the plate," Reinagel said. "I did. He never touched the plate."

Sikeston coach Kevin Self quickly questioned the call but didn't argue the point with the home plate umpire.

"I thought the ball was there late and the tag was there late, but the umpire said (the catcher) deflected (Hooper's) leg off the plate," Self said. "All you can ask for in a game like this is that you have a chance to win and we did.

"Notre Dame earned the right to be champions because they made the plays, especially in the final inning."

Canfield got the final out on an unassisted force out by shortstop Wittenborn to earn the save.

Notre Dame led by as much as 4-1 before Sikeston rallied for a 5-4 lead after five innings. Sikeston got some freshman power of its own when frosh center fielder Ronnie Childers knocked a two-run homer to left field to tie the score 4-4.

Third Place

Jackson capped a solid tournament by routing Scott City 11-0 in five innings for third place at Tiger Field.

The Indians (12-7) banged out 13 hits. Josh Adams and Todd Wessel both went 3-for-3, with Adams doubling twice and getting three RBIs. Justin Gladish and Burt Hahs both added two hits. Hahs homered and doubled.

Jason Goben pitched the five-inning shutout, allowing four hits.

Tim Lowery took the loss for the fourth-place Rams (11-5).

During the 8-5 semifinal loss to Sikeston earlier in the day, Adams allowed just five hits and two earned runs. Wessel, Zane McClard and Jarod Suedekum all had two hits.

Consolation Championship

Cape Central (12-11) ripped 18 hits, including four home runs to pound Perryville 16-7 at Tiger Field.

Shane Gibson and Tatum Kitchen both launched two home runs in the win. Both of Gibson's home runs came in nine-run third inning when the Tigers took an 11-5 lead. Both homer's were two-run shots.

Jeff Michel (2-0) relieved Ross Bennett in the first inning, pitching 6-2/3 innings for the win. Michel allowed only two unearned runs and two walks with eight strikouts.

Kitchen led the Tigers with three hits as Perryville fell to 11-9.

Earlier in the day, Central got four more home runs and nine hits in a 12-9 win over Dexter.

Kitchen, Gibson and Andy Sweet all lofted homers and had two hits in the win. Bennett also had a home run.

Michael Minner (4-1) started for the Tigers and earned the win.

Seventh Place

Kelly salvaged seventh place by winning its first game of the tourney 13-7 over Dexter at Notre Dame.

Denver Stuckey went 5-for-5 for the Hawks (9-8) while Jason Glastetter had a grand slam.

Saturday's games

Championship game

Notre Dame 7, Sikeston 6

Championship semifinals

Sikeston 8, Jackson 5

Notre Dame 5, Scott City 3

Third-place game

Jackson 11, Scott City 0

Consolation championship

Central 16, Perryville 7

Consolation semifinals

Cape Central 12, Dexter 9

Perryville 12, Kelly 10

Seventh-place game

Kelly 13, Dexter 10