Bulldogs advance

~ Notre Dame kept its perfect season intact with a 2-1 victory.

BALLWIN -- Notre Dame's Alecia Glaus was not in the starting lineup when the Bulldogs faced Affton in the Class 3 state quarterfinals Saturday.

But by the end of the game, she had played as big a role as any member of the Notre Dame team.

The sophomore entered in the top of the fifth inning with the score knotted 1-1 as a courtesy runner for Whitney Eftink, who had doubled. Glaus was able to manufacture a run, using her speed and heads-up baserunning to swipe third and then score on a slightly wild throw by Affton catcher Lindsay Hetisimer.

"I had seen that the throw got by the third baseman and coach [Jeff] Graviett said, 'Go home,' so I was going,'" Glaus said. "It felt great. It proves that everybody can do a part to win the game."

Notre Dame's Allison Peters arrived safely at first as Bulldogs assistant coach Ray Reinagel signaled safe during Saturday's game. (Brent Holzapfel ~ Special to the Southeast Missourian)

Glaus' run ended up the game-winner as Notre Dame defeated Affton 2-1 at the Ballwin Athletic Association. The Bulldogs improved to 28-0 while Affton finished its season at 26-4.

Glaus started about four games and received about 20 at-bats this season. Her most frequent role was as a courtesy runner. Graviett said he called for her to steal third in that situation because his offense was struggling against Affton pitcher Kourtney VonBehren, who struck out nine of the first 12 Bulldogs batters.

"She [Glaus] is one of our smarter baserunners," Graviett said. "We felt we had to do something. Obviously we weren't hitting. We were trying to push across any runs we could get. You're not only moving up closer [by stealing], but you're trying to create something like a wild throw to score a run. So it couldn't have worked out any more perfect."

Like Glaus said, everyone can contribute -- and most everyone on the Bulldogs team did play a part after the team fell behind 1-0 in the third inning.

Bulldogs pitcher Lauren Reinagel, who improved to 27-0, threw all seven innings, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out nine. She struck out five in the first two innings but got herself into trouble in the third inning.

With two outs, Hetisimer hit a grounder back to Reinagel, who fielded it cleanly but threw wild over the head of her first baseman, Eftink. Affton's Katy McAllister, who was at second base after doubling, scored to give the Cougars a 1-0 advantage.

"I just broke down," Reinagel said of the wild toss. "I was just so disappointed in myself."

Graviett went out to circle to speak with Reinagel right after the errant throw.

"I told her what we talk about all the time, 'It's not what happens to you, it's how you react to it,'" Graviett said. "I said, 'We've got to score one run or we don't win anyway.' I just tried to keep her calm and focused on her task at hand."

Heather Menz led off the fifth inning with a single, the first hit for the Bulldogs.

"I was actually not really nervous," Menz said. "I was just thinking that this was batting practice and I needed to see the ball and hit it into the outfield or somewhere to get it started off. At one point I thought about bunting, but then I was like, 'No, I want to hit. It is my senior year and I want to get a hit for us.'"

Reinagel, the next batter, grounded out to the shortstop and Menz advanced to second base. She scored when the next hitter, Eftink, who Graviett has been calling "Big hit Whit" lately, doubled to deep left-center field.

"The feeling was amazing to pick up my team like that," Eftink said. "Lauren is my cousin and she means a lot to me and I just wanted to pick up the team."

Notre Dame 000 020 0 -- 2 4 1

Affton 001 000 0 -- 1 4 2

WP -- Lauren Reinagel (27-0). LP -- Kourtney VonBehren. 2B -- Whitney Eftink (ND), Katy McAllister (A). Records -- Notre Dame 28-0. Affton 26-4.