Notre Dame advances to state championship game in softball

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. -- Notre Dame senior Mallory Siebert never flinched against Platte County ace Haley Pypes.

Siebert collected three hits Friday, but none was bigger than her two-out single with the bases loaded in the sixth inning. The Bulldogs held on from there for a 4-2 victory in their Class 3 state softball semifinal.

The Bulldogs players raced toward the mound with jumping hugs all around after pitcher Lauren Reinagel struck out Kylie Guthier to end it.

Notre Dame will face Kirksville, a 1-0 winner over Republic in 10 innings Friday, at 1 p.m. in Saturday's state championship game. It will be a rematch of last year's semifinal, where Notre Dame downed Kirksville 3-2 in 13 innings.

"We played her two years ago and last year, so I kind of knew her game plan," Siebert said of Pypes. "Using my coaches' advice, asking other people what she was throwing and trying to get in her head and anticipate."

Notre Dame enjoyed a three-run lead going into the sixth, and Pypes walked the first two batters. After a strikeout, Hali Rendleman singed to second to load the bases. But Pypes got another strikeout.

"I was just trying to relax, not freak out," Siebert said. "The last time I thought too much about it. So I just said, 'Relax. Don't think about it. Swing like normal. Get more runs. Score more insurance.'

"I was just focusing on get another run, come through for my team. I didn't want to let them down."

Siebert entered the final four batting .484, so Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett wasn't surprised to see one of his seniors deliver.

"She just moves the ball around," he said. "She can make contact against the best of the best. ... If you can put the ball in play and run down the line as quick as she can, you're going to wreak havoc.

"Mallory is a big-time player and she came through today. That's what you expect out of those seniors."

The run became especially important in the bottom of the sixth when Brianna Corwin blasted a two-run homer to center field to cut Notre Dame's lead in half. Graviett immediately went out to the circle to talk with Reinagel and the infield, but didn't stay long.

"I just went out there to make sure she was all right," Graviett said of Reinagel. "But the maturity level and strides she's made in the last year, she wasn't concerned. She shook it off and knew we were up two runs. Last year, that would have got to her and it would have been different."

Reinagel responded by getting the next two batters to pop out to end the inning. She said it was easy to shake off Corwin's drive.

"I thought we could pull it out and we did," Reinagel said. "I had good confidence that if they would have hit it again we would have caught it."

Notre Dame relied on its defense to extinguish a couple threats. The biggest one came in the fifth inning when the Pirates had a runner on third with two outs. Shortstop Jane Morrill sneaked over to third as Reinagel pitched out. Catcher Alecia Glaus fired a bullet to Morrill, who tagged out Taylor Laures to end the inning.

"She was looking to score on a hit, so we just used that to our advantage," Glaus said. "We figured we'd just pick her off and take care of it."

Notre Dame assistant coach Ray Reinagel called the play, and Morrill said she almost was late getting to third because she didn't realize the play had been called.

"I didn't know until Alecia gave a fist and move outside," Morrill said. "I didn't hear Ray because normally Ray signals something. I didn't hear anything. I was just like, I see her setting up for the pitch, I've got to go."

Laures was the second runner Glaus erased. She also threw out Molley Cantu trying to steal second in the second.

While the Bulldogs' defense was up to the task, the Pirates committed five errors. Two happened on the same play, which allowed the Bulldogs to score their first run. Glaus walked to lead off the second. Corwin, Platte County's catcher, tried to pick her off but threw the ball into right field.

"Me and the first-base coach were looking at it and he said to watch out for the pickoff, so I was ready to get back," Glaus said. "Once it got past her, I looked at Graviett and he was waving me on. When I got to third, I saw it get past and I had no idea where it'd gone. It just happened so fast."

Glaus headed for third and the throw from right field got away so Glaus headed home. A good throw likely would have nailed her, but it was a wild throw, which allowed her to score.

"Until you're around this game or play it, you don't understand how important that first run is," Graviett said. "A lot of games are 1-0. The pressure these girls feel because they've played this game so much, getting that first run and how we got it, that took a big blow to them.

"You don't know how many times you're going to get those opportunities so you've got to keep going."

Notre Dame added a pair of runs in the fourth. Savanna Ayers knocked in a run on a squeeze bunt and Summer Burger followed with an RBI single to left.

The Bulldogs now turn their attention to Saturday's championship game. The players didn't expect to get much sleep Friday night.

"It was hard to sleep [Thursday] night," Morrill said. "This time, I don't know. I'm going to have to stay focused I guess. ... It's going to be a fun nigh tonight."

The Bulldogs seniors said they're eager to finish their climb after finishing third as sophomores and second as juniors.

"It's so exciting," Reinagel said. "Last year we were second. I want it so bad. I want it for us, for the team."