'Dogs' Burger chews on pitchers

Notre Dame junior first baseman Kristain Burger can change a game with a single swing.

In a season where the Bulldogs have broke numerous school records, Burger has been front and center. She leads the team in nearly every offensive category, and has set school records in doubles (14), home runs (5), RBIs (40), hits (44) and slugging percentage (.777).

"She's had a tremendous year," Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett said. "A lot of her stats, I feel have to do with the runners on base in front of her and the hitters behind her.

"She's got a lot of good pitches and done a lot of damage up there. Last year in the quarterfinals, she stepped up and showed she wanted to become a leader for us."

Burger hit a three-run home run in Notre Dame's 3-1 quarterfinal win over Lutheran South last year.

The Bulldogs (27-2) will need Burger's bat again when they face Sullivan (26-3) at 1 p.m. today in the Class 3 state quarterfinals at the Kirkwood Athletic Association. Notre Dame is looking for its second straight trip to the state final four.

"It definitely was a great experience going there last year," Burger said. "We know how hard it's going to be to get back. It takes a lot of hard work."

It appears Burger has saved some of her best ball for the end of the season, as she is riding a school-record eight-game hitting streak into today's quarterfinal. Burger has seven doubles and 11 RBIs over the past four games.

"You like your chances with her up there in big situations," Graviett said. "She does a tremendous job not only with the gap hits, but with singles as well. She gets a lot of two-strike, two-out singles up the middle to score runs. She's capable of putting up big numbers in a hurry."

Over the past two seasons, Burger has hit nine home runs, including two in a single inning earlier this season.

"I don't know how that's come about," Burger said. "I guess just working out and lifting weights. And my dad has helped me work on my swing."

Burger has shown the ability to carry the Bulldogs. On the final day of the Incarnate Word Tournament -- Notre Dame claimed the tournament title for the first time this year -- Burger went 11-for-11 with three home runs. With the help of her late-season charge, Burger leads the team with a .468 batting average, and she is tied for second on the team with 30 runs scored.

While Burger put up strong numbers last year, she said her maturation as a player has helped her step her game up.

"I've gotten older, I have a lot more confidence in myself," she said. "There's more leadership on our backs now, so you have to perform to that level."

Burger's success this season has been helped by a high-scoring offense around her. The Bulldogs have a pair of .400-hitting freshmen in Paris Burger (.434) and Erika Reinagel (.458) to set the table and get into scoring position, and plenty of firepower behind her to keep the offense rolling. Notre Dame has scored 245 runs in 29 games, with Reinagel breaking the school record for runs scored with 32.

"A lot of us played together this summer, and when you play together you get better as a team," Kristain Burger said. "I don't think it was that shocking when we put it together."

The Bulldogs will have to clean up their game heading into today's quarterfinal contest. Notre Dame committed five errors in its sectional win, nearly a quarter of its season total. Pitcher Beth Schnurbusch also allowed four walks.

Notre Dame's quarterfinal opponent, Sullivan (26-3), avenged one of its losses in the sectional round, routing Lutheran South 7-0. Sullivan's other two losses this season came against Poplar Bluff and Lafayette, both Class 4 district champions.

Graviett said his team's strengths this season have been speed and defense, and he expects those to be the keys to beating Sullivan.

"We need those two things to step up the rest of the year if we're going to do anything special," he said.

Sullivan has allowed less than a run a game this season, while scoring 169 runs. The Eagles have an offensive juggernaut of their own, with Kellie Kurka leading the team in batting average (.483), runs (28), RBIs (27), doubles (11), triples (6) and home runs (2).

Meghan Bailey, who is second on the team with 22 RBIs, is the team's top pitcher. Bailey is 24-3 with a 0.36 ERA with 288 strikeouts and only 49 hits allowed in more than 150 innings pitched.

"It's your classic battle of good pitching against good offense," Graviett said. "The old saying is good pitching shuts down good offense, but not all the time. I'm sure she hasn't seen a good offense like ours."

Added Graviett: "We feel like if we strike out seven times or less, we have a good opportunity to win this."