ND CHECKS OFF CENTRAL

Get 20th win.

Check.

Complete season sweep of SEMO Conference.

Check.

Get No. 5 hitter Wes Steele and starting pitcher Mark Ostendorf back on track.

Check, check.

Notre Dame (20-3, 8-0) moved closer to completing a season-long list of things to do Tuesday with a convincing 10-1 win over cross-town rival Cape Central. The only chores left unresolved are a district championship and a run at the state title. District action begins next Monday.

"You don't want to set undefeated goals, but we thought we could beat everybody in the conference," Notre Dame coach Chris Neff said. "We've kind of been the bully in the conference. We haven't played a lot of close games, other than the game with Sikeston. But I think we really ran away with the conference and really made a statement. But it's maybe not so much that we're a superior team, but that the conference is down a little bit this year.

"Twenty wins and conference champs -- those things are goals. Hopefully now, we'll stop thinking about the conference and get into a let's-go-to-state mode."

Notre Dame played one of its best offensive games of the season, spraying 15 hits and getting at least a single from every position in the lineup.

The Bulldogs struck early and often, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Catcher Scott Reinagel produced the first run on a sacrifice fly. The Bulldogs then got an RBI double from Steele, a line drive shot that bounced off the fence.

Central designated hitter Justin Welker scored in the second on a sacrifice fly by shortstop T.J. Erlacker for the Tigers' lone run.

Offensively, the Tigers wasted several opportunities, leaving eight runners on base. Central had the bases loaded with no one out in the second, but scored just once.

In the fifth, a running gaffe ended a potential Tiger threat.

But the biggest downfall for Central on Tuesday was the pitching. Starter Travis Klipfel struggled with his control. He walked just two, but threw three wild pitches, one that led directly to a run. He lasted six-plus innings and gave up eight runs on 11 hits.

"He couldn't find his curveball," Central coach Steve Williams said. "And you can't throw fastball after fastball after fastball to any team. A good team like Notre Dame will just start teeing off."

After Central's run which cut the lead to 3-1, Notre Dame tacked on seven more insurance tallies -- three in the third and four in the fourth. Cleanup-hitting second baseman John O'Rourke led the offensive charge with three hits, while Josh Eftink, Steele and Matt Bollinger had two hits apiece.

Neff was especially encouraged with Steele's performance: 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBIs and a warning-track fly out to center. The third baseman has struggled all season to return to last year's form when he was one of the team's leading hitters.

"His bat is coming back alive," Neff said. "He's jumping on pitches. Earlier in the season he was popping up a lot. Now, he's driving the ball."

"I've been doing a lot of soft-tossing," said Steele. "I'm finding the stroke that I had last year. I'm trying to sit back on fastballs and not jump out front."

Like Steele, Ostendorf had a comeback of sorts, though his slump was limited to one game. The right-hander was roughed up in his last outing, a 10-1 loss to Harrisburg two weeks ago. It was Notre Dame's worst defeat of the season.

Ostendorf struggled with his control some, walking four, but held Central to five hits in seven innings. He fanned two.

"The first four innings he walked the leadoff batter," said Neff. "He pitched through some adversity there."