The Notre Dame Regional High School baseball team had been sluggish offensively through five games despite winning all of them.
Notre Dame finally got its bats untracked in the bottom of the fifth inning Wednesday against visiting Fredericktown -- which sealed Justin Landewee's no-hitter without him having to return to the mound.
"It feels good, finally a no-hitter my senior year," Landewee said with a smile.
The Bulldogs' nine-run fifth inning ended their 10-0 victory by way of the mercy rule as Notre Dame improved to 6-0.
After Landewee retired Fredericktown (2-2) in the top of the fifth inning, he said he didn't realize the Black Cats had no hits.
"I didn't even know it until I came in before the last inning when we scored all those runs," Landewee said.
Landewee, who said it was his first no-hitter at any level of baseball, struck out nine and walked three as he improved to 3-0.
"I came out strong and worked ahead," he said. "When I work ahead, I can get 'em. My curve ball was working really well."
So was Notre Dame's defense, which turned in sparking plays the only two times Fredericktown came close to hitting safely.
Sophomore second baseman Logan Heisserer made a leaping catch of a line drive by Jake Korokis in the third inning. That was the Black Cats' only hard-hit ball.
Junior shortstop Griffin Siebert made a sliding catch of a pop fly to short left field off the bat of Brady Brewen in the fourth inning.
"Defensively we're looking pretty good," Landewee said.
Notre Dame's pitching staff has looked good all season as the Bulldogs entered Wednesday's contest with a sparkling 0.82 earned-run average.
"Justin was tremendous today," Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett said. "Our pitching has been great. We knew going in it would probably be our strength."
Offense had not been a strength through five games as the Bulldogs carried a .248 batting average.
Notre Dame was held scoreless on two hits through three innings Wednesday by senior left-hander Andre Atkeson.
"It was a pretty disappointing beginning the way we swung the bats," Graviett said. "It ended well in the fifth inning. ... We've got to get the bats going. Hopefully the fifth inning was a sign of things to come."
The Bulldogs finally got on the board in the fourth inning after the first two batters were retired.
Senior left fielder Stephen Brennan singled, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single by senior right fielder Cody DeBrock. Junior first baseman Josh Jansen followed with a single but Fredericktown escaped further damage.
The Black Cats were not so fortunate in the fifth as the Bulldogs exploded for nine runs on six hits, two walks and a hit batter.
Ten batters reached safely -- including one on a fielder's choice -- after Fredericktown retired the first batter of the frame.
"The bottom of the fifth we finally found it. Everybody started connecting in the bottom of the fifth," Brennan said. "We've had trouble here and there [offensively] but I think after this game we'll start finding it more."
Jansen delivered the big blow in the fifth, a three-run triple. Junior DH Matt Westrich had a two-run single and junior center fielder Josh Haggerty's two-run single ended the contest.
Landewee added an RBI single in the frame while Brennan drove in the other run on a fielder's choice ground ball, with the throw to the plate being late.
Brennan, Jansen and Haggerty each had two of Notre Dame's 11 hits. The Bulldogs also stole eight bases, two each by Brennan and Haggerty.
"I stress all the time, our team chemistry is really good," senior catcher Chase Simmons said. "I think we can go far if we live up to our potential."
While Graviett is pleased with Notre Dame's 6-0 start, he said he'll learn a lot more about the Bulldogs next week.
That's when the competition level stiffens as the Bulldogs are scheduled to play seven games in a six-day span beginning Monday when they host rival Central in a 4 p.m. doubleheader.
"We'll find out a lot about our team next week," said Graviett, whose squad has no more contests this week.
Fredericktown 000 00 -- 0 0 0
Notre Dame 000 19 -- 10 11 0
WP -- Justin Landewee. LP -- Andre Atkeson. 3B -- Josh Jansen (ND). Multiple hits -- Notre Dame: Jansen 2-3, Josh Haggerty 2-3, Stephen Brennan 2-3. Records -- Fredericktown 2-2, Notre Dame 6-0.
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