Bulldogs slip past Festus

PERRYVILLE -- Good teams can make their own breaks.

Notre Dame's softball team entered the bottom of the fifth inning of Saturday's Class 3 District 2 championship game at the Perryville City Park in need of a break, down 1-0 against Festus.

Thanks to two Festus errors, the Bulldogs' trademark aggressive running and a big hit from Kristain Burger, the top-seeded Bulldogs got their break and brought home their third straight district title with a 3-1 win.

Notre Dame (26-2) will host De Soto on Wednesday afternoon.

"We like to put pressure on with our speed if we can, that's key," Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett said. "We play aggressive on the bases, and you have to get on early to do that."

Designated player Brittney Schott got the rally started with a leadoff single. Paris Burger, 2-for-2 up to that point, laid down a sacrifice bunt, and the throw to first sailed off the first baseman's glove, which allowed the runners to move to second and third.

Erika Reinagel then hit a ball to the shortstop, who threw home to get Schott. Kristain Burger smashed a liner off the second baseman's glove, which scored two. Kristain Burger came into score when she went to third on a force out and the first baseman's return throw to third sailed wide.

"I wanted it. I wanted to be up there bad," Kristain Burger said of her big hit.

Added Graviett: "I talked to Kristain, Miranda [Schlosser] and Courtney [Ostendorf] -- our Nos. 3, 4 and 5 hitters -- before the game and I said, 'You've got to drive in the big runs.' If we're going to do anything this time of the year it's going to start with the seniors."

Third-seeded Festus tried to rally in the sixth, putting two on with one out. Jessica Ecker hit a screamer down the third-base line, but Allison Peters was able to snare the ball out of the air and nearly doubled the runner off second. Notre Dame starter Beth Schnurbusch struck out Festus cleanup hitter Janeisha Culton looking to end the inning.

Schnurbusch, who pitched the final two innings to pick up the win in Friday's 2-1 semifinal triumph, allowed just three hits and did not walk a batter to move to 14-0 on the mound.

Festus could not take advantage of a leadoff double from Culton in the second, but finally cracked the scoreboard in the fifth following a leadoff triple from Krystal Bradford. Stevie Horrell picked up the RBI on a ground out to second.

The Tigers did not threaten in the seventh, though, ending the game with a strikeout. Schnurbusch struck out five overall.

"She did a tremendous job," Graviett said. "They got a couple chances with runner on second or third and she pitched out of those situations, which was key. She made some big pitches in pivotal spots in the game."

Festus hurler Kayla Ruess danced around the outside of the plate much of the game and kept the Bulldogs' hitters out of sync. Ruess struck out Schnurbusch with the bases loaded in the fourth to get out of a jam after walking two but was undone by the errors in the fourth.

Ruess, a lefty, was just the second left-handed pitcher the Bulldogs had faced this season. Windsor threw a left-hander in the semifinals on Friday, a game in which Notre Dame needed a run in the seventh to win.

"It's different," Kristain Burger said of facing a lefty. "I don't know how to explain it. It takes a little time to get used to, but hitting is about confidence. Hopefully we gotten some of that the last two games and we'll be ready for the next two."

De Soto, the Bulldogs' sectional opponent, also has a left-handed starter.

The road to get to the sectional game was bumpier than expected for the Bulldogs. Notre Dame has made the final four each of the past two seasons. The Bulldogs have yet to lose to a Class 3 squad this season.

"We expect everyone to play their best game against us," Graviett said. "When you get to this time of year it's always going to be competitive. We didn't know what to expect because we hadn't seen these teams, but that was a two-way thing."

Notre Dame will have to get its hitting going in order to make another long run. Paris Burger and Schott had two hits apiece for the Bulldogs, who finished with seven hits.

The Bulldogs have not lost a sectional game in their past four trips to the state playoffs.

"We all have high expectations," Kristain Burger said. "The good thing about these last two games is they helped remind us to take it one game at a time, one inning at a time.

NOTRE DAME 3, FESTUS 1

Festus 000 100 0 -- 1 3 2

Notre Dame 000 300 x -- 3 7 1

WP -- Beth Schnurbusch, 14-0; LP -- Kayla Ruess. 2B -- Janeisha Culton (F); 3B -- Krysta Bradford (F). Multiple hits -- ND, Paris Burger 2-3, Brittney Schott 2-4. Records -- Notre Dame 26-2.