CLOSE CALL: ND STAGGERS INTO 2A QUARTERFINALS

Whew.

Gulp.

Okay, let's not do this again.

That was the basic sentiment among Notre Dame players and fans Thursday after the Bulldogs got several breaks and squeaked past a stubborn Senath-Hornersville squad 3-1 in a Class 2A sectional game at Notre Dame High.

Notre Dame committed five errors, left 12 runners on base and was the beneficiary of some key controversial calls.

To say the least, the Bulldogs -- the top-ranked team in the state -- are fortunate to be heading to Piedmont Saturday for a quarterfinal game where they will play Clearwater.

"Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good," said Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett. "We didn't play our best game by any means today and to come out with a win is huge at this point in the season."

Going into the bottom of the seventh, Notre Dame had a two-run lead. Reliever Josh Eftink struck out the first batter and got the second batter on a grounder to third.

But first baseman Matt Bollinger dropped the ball at first on a play which would've ended the game.

That put Senath's Andrew Moore at first with two outs. Jonathan Binkard then walked, making cleanup hitter Chris McLain -- who had six home runs on the season -- the potential winning run.

McClain grounded to short and John O'Rourke decided to force out Binkard himself instead of making a throw. The race to second base was a close one and Binkard was called out.

O'Rourke admitted after the game that he thought the runner was safe.

"But it was real close," he said.

That was one of several "real close" calls on the day -- including two plays at the plate. Notre Dame's Timmy Wencewicz slid around and under the tag in the top of the first inning and Senath's Derrick Cunningham was called out on a play in the bottom of the first where he beat the throw, but catcher Scott Reinagel blocked the plate and tagged him out.

"Early on, I thought we caught all the breaks then in the middle we weren't getting them," Graviett said. "Then we got a huge break at the end of the game at second. It could have gone either way for sure."

Senath coach Randy Smith was obviously upset after the game, but he didn't make excuses.

"We feel like we should've beat their butt -- that's kind of where we're at right now," said Smith. "We had a chance, but we just didn't get it done. The umpires didn't beat our tail. We get a hit or two or make a play or two and we win. That's baseball."

As has been the case all year, Josh Eftink was the main run producer for the Bulldogs.

Eftink fisted an RBI single to right field in the first inning and took an outside fastball over the right-field fence in the fifth.

Eftink's homer, which came on a 2-0 pitch and was his second long ball in his last two games, gave Notre Dame a 3-0 lead.

"He came in on me the first couple of pitches," said Eftink. "I was waiting for something over the middle of the plate or away and that's where he went with it and I just took it the other way."

In the first, John O'Rourke reached on an infield single and advanced to second on a throwing error. Timmy Wencewicz then reached on a bunt single and he too took second on an error, the same error which scored O'Rourke. Eftink followed with his run-scoring single.

Notre Dame had several more chances to score, leaving two runners on base in every inning except the fourth, when the Bulldogs went down in order on seven pitches.

"We didn't get the big hits that we've been getting for the past two weeks," said Graviett. "We need to come back (today) and find our stroke. I think we swung at a lot of bad pitches today but at the same time I thought he had a good game plan to bust us inside. That's something we'll have to work on for Saturday is hitting the inside pitch. I think Coach Smith saw us play Chaffee and saw how well we hit the ball to right field and he was a pitcher in his day and knew to try to bust us in."

With Notre Dame's defense buckling and with its offense stranding runner after runner, it was the pitching that won it for the Bulldogs.

Brian Obermann pitched in and out of trouble the whole game, but didn't allow a run until the sixth and that run was unearned.

Obermann went five-plus innings and gave up four hits while walking three and striking out six.

Eftink came on in relief and got the save. He gave up a hit and a walk while striking out two.

Eftink and O'Rourke each had two of Notre Dame's six hits. Reinagel walked three times and was hit by a pitch.

Jared Gurley had two of Senath's five hits.

Binkard went the distance for Senath and struck out eight Notre Dame batters and walked four.

Clearwater edged Hartfield 7-6 on Thursday.