FRESH BAT LIFTS BULLDOGS

The Notre Dame Bulldog baseball team got senior leadership on the mound and freshman heroics at the plate Thursday at home against Poplar Bluff to come back for a 5-4 win.

Senior pitcher Chris Canfield pitched around five Bulldog errors to go the distance on the mound, and freshman third baseman Josh Eftink smashed a two-run, opposite-field home run to right field in the bottom of the sixth inning to push the Bulldogs ahead for good.

The win keeps Notre Dame undefeated at 2-0 this season while Poplar Bluff (0-1) opened its season with the loss.

The Bulldogs trailed Poplar Bluff 4-3 in the sixth when Eftink came to the plate with one out and teammate Ben Gosche, who reached on a fielders choice, at first. Eftink, who went 2-for-3 in the game, said he was just trying to move Gosche into scoring position.

"I just wanted to move the runner over because that was the tying run," said Eftink. "I just connected and it went. I knew it was gone when I hit it. It felt good."

Eftink's towering blast off Mules' reliever Justin Tune (0-1), who relieved starter Andy Cisne in the sixth, put the Bulldogs up 5-4 and Canfield took the mound in the top of the seventh with new life.

"I started to tire about the fifth," said Canfield, who allowed an unearned run in the fifth that put the Bulldogs in a 4-2 hole. "But after Josh hit the home run we were fired up and there was no way I was going to lose the game."

Canfield (1-0) retired the Mules in order to close out the victory and earn a complete-game win. The Bulldog right-hander struck out six while allowing six hits and three walks. He also pitched around several errors by his defense.

"Chris was a little off his game, but when you have five errors behind you its a little tough to concentrate," Notre Dame coach Gregg Muench said. "I thought he came back and battled, and the last four innings he threw well."

The Bulldogs got off to a fast start against Cisne to take a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Canfield walked to lead off the inning and Danny Wittenborn followed with a single, moving Canfield to second.

With no one out, Nathan McGuire ripped a double to the left-center field gap to score Canfield easily. Wittenborn got caught in a rundown between third and home before being tagged out by the catcher as McGuire moved to third.

The play appeared to be over but Poplar Bluff catcher Scott Lindsey gave the ball back to Cisne while still standing near third base. With no one covering home, McGuire broke for the plate and caught the Mules napping to score the second run of the game. McGuire one-hopped another double off the fence in the third to go 2-for-3.

Bluff came back in the third with three unearned runs thanks to two Notre Dame errors. Cisne ripped a two-out double to score two runners and put Bluff on top 3-2.

The Mules got another unearned run in the fifth after a three-base error by Notre Dame right fielder Keith Hamm allowed Tune to reach safely. Poplar Bluff followed with a bloop single to right that scored Tune and put the Mules ahead 4-2.

Although trailing, Canfield said he had confidence his teammates would get back the runs. Especially after the Bulldogs 9-0 opening-season win Monday in Jackson.

"I tried to battle and keep us close enough to where our offense could get them," said Canfield. "After the Jackson game, I had a lot of confidence in our offense."

Notre Dame did battle back, getting an unearned run in the fifth without the benefit of a hit. Ryan LeGrande and Canfield opened the inning with walks. LeGrande then stole third and went home on a wild throw by the catcher. Canfield, attempting to reach third on the throwing error, was gunned down at third by the left fielder to end the rally.

But Canfield remained tough on the mound, until Eftink's home run put the 'Dogs back on top.

"The kids know we're going to be competitive and during the course of the game somebody is going to come through with the big hit," Muench said. "That's not a bad beginning for Josh, being a freshman and playing in his first home game."