Bulldogs advance to state for first time

Sophomore Kristain Burger slammed a three-run home run in the top of the fifth inning to propel Notre Dame to its first final four appearance in girls softball.

Those three runs were enough for the Bulldogs to defeat Lutheran South 3-1 on Saturday in a Class 3 state quarterfinal game at Kirkwood Athletic Association.

Notre Dame (22-6) plays Friday against unbeaten Webb City in a state semifinal game at the Rainbow Softball Complex in Columbia, Mo.

Notre Dame had lost in the quarterfinal round in 2001 and 2002, once to Lutheran South.

Bulldogs sophomore Miranda Schlosser pitched out of jams in the first and third with some help from Sarah Scherer and the defense. Notre Dame had one shaky inning defensively -- the second -- and Lutheran South took advantage with an unearned run without a hit.

Lancers sophomore pitcher Kelsey Mitchell made that run hold up until the dramatic home run by Burger, a first baseman who earlier this season helped beat Kelly with an extra-inning walkoff home run.

"The walk-off homer was great, but this one was definitely better," Burger said. "It has a lot of meaning because our softball team had never been to state before. It feels great that I had a part of getting us there."

A big part. Notre Dame had left runners in scoring position in the three previous innings. The home run came with two outs and followed walks to Alana Weissmueller and Whitney Ostendorf, who are two of only three seniors on the team.

The homer, which was the fourth of the season for Burger to set a single-season Notre Dame record, went to right-center field against a very strong wind which had held up several potential homers earlier in the game.

"I didn't think anybody would hit one out today," Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett said. "The umps were telling me before the game that there were some balls which were hit hard enough to go out but were held in the park by the wind. If anybody could have done it today it was Kristain. She has tremendous power, especially to the opposite field."

Burger did not think the ball would clear the fence when it left her bat.

"We talked before the game about how hard-hit balls were just dying in the wind," Burger said. "I knew this was going to be one of the last times we had a chance to score, and I was just trying to make good contact. It was a fastball a little outside, and when I hit it I had a good feeling because I thought it was going to at least tie the game. I didn't know it was out until I saw how excited my coach was. I knew it must have been a big deal to get him that excited."

Scherer, the other Bulldogs senior, was not surprised at Burger's heroics.

"It seems like every time we need a big hit or big play that Kristain comes through," Scherer said. "As soon as it came off her bat I knew it was out. I have seen her do it so many times now."

Scherer made some key plays herself in the field. She threw out a runner at home in the first inning and made a nice catch on a long fly ball, which probably would have been a homer without the wind, to open the seventh.

"It's so exciting to get to state especially after the disappointment of losing in districts last year," Scherer said.

Schlosser seemed to get better as the game went on. She retired 13 of the final 14 batters she faced. She finished the game with seven strikeouts and just two walks, one of them intentional.

"I thought both sophomore pitchers threw well," Graviett said. "One pitch might have been the difference today."

For Notre Dame, it was a difference between making history and going home.

"We have done something no other Notre Dame team has accomplished," Burger said. "We might as well make the best of it now. I think if we go out there and play the best we can that we will end up on top."

Said Graviett: "We are going into some unchartered territory now. We might as well continue our mission and put a new banner on the wall for our first softball state championship."

Notre Dame 3, Lutheran South 1

Notre Dame 000 030 0 -- 3

Lutheran South 010 000 0 -- 1

WP -- Miranda Schlosser; LP -- Kelsey Mitchell. 2B -- Whitney Ostendorf (ND), Bahre (LS); HR -- Burger (ND). Multiple hits -- Schlosser 2-3. Records -- Notre Dame 22-6, Lutheran South 22-9.