Notre Dame baseball team defeats Sikeston 10-9 in nine innings

Notre Dame and Sikeston reminded everyone the two school's rivalry extends well past the basketball court during a Tuesday afternoon baseball contest at Notre Dame Regional High School.

The two rivals christened their seasons with a game that Notre Dame claimed 10-9 on a walk-off single in the ninth inning.

"We had a lot of fire because of basketball," Notre Dame senior Jesse Schott said. "We had a lot of our best friends get beat bad. We wanted to come back and get it for them, so that helped us out."

Sikeston ended Notre Dame's basketball season with a 74-46 romp in the Class 4 District 1 title game in late February.

This time Notre Dame earned the win with some two-out magic in the ninth.

Notre Dame’s Jesse Schott celebrates his second home run during the fifth inning of the Bulldogs’ 10-9 extra-inning win Tuesday over Sikeston. (ADAM VOGLER)

Notre Dame shortstop Griffen Siebert drew a walk after Sikeston reliever Tyler Anderson obtained the first two outs on a flyball and a strikeout.

The sophomore then stole second to set the stage for the winning hit. Senior Kyle Campbell lined a 1-2 fastball just over the second baseman's glove and Siebert raced home for the win.

"I was looking for a fastball," Campbell said. "I was going to stay back on his curveball because I thought he might have thrown that, but he ended up bringing me a fastball. I stayed back on it and took it the opposite way just like we're taught."

The hit capped a wild start to the season.

Notre Dame came out swinging in the early innings.

The Notre Dame High School baseball team celebrate the first of two home runs by Jesse Schott, left, during their 10-9 extra inning win over Sikeston. ADAM VOGLER ~ avogler@semissourian.com

Schott blasted a two-run homer in the first, and Notre Dame took advantage of two walks and a hit batsman in the second to take a 4-0 lead.

"I approach every at-bat just trying to hit it right back up the middle," Schott said. "And every now and then you get under one and happen to hit it out. With the wind blowing out that helps too, but [I] just try to hit the ball hard."

Sikeston countered with a three-run blast by Trent McMillan in the top of the third.

Notre Dame answered with a two-run double to center field by Marc Rivas in the bottom of the inning for a 6-3 lead.

Sikeston pulled even at 6-6 when Luke Keefer hit a three-run shot to left field in the fourth.

The Notre Dame High School pitcher Cody Heisserer throws a strike during the Bulldogs' 10-9 extra inning win over Sikeston. ADAM VOGLER ~ avogler@semissourian.com

Schott refused to be outdone. The third baseman hit a two-run shot well over the fence in left field to give Notre Dame an 8-6 lead in the fifth.

The senior went 3 for 4 with four RBIs.

"We've been seeing it out there for three weeks now," Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett said. "We didn't know how he'd do in a live situation. But I was probably more proud of his base hit up the middle in his third at-bat, that he's not pulling off on it and trying to do that. If he continues to do that, he's going to be one of the better hitters in the area."

Schott, the clean-up hitter, and No. 3 hitter Cody Heisserer combined for five hits -- three going for extra bases.

"Those are two really good hitters," Sikeston coach Alan Scheeter said. "You've got to give them a lot of credit. The Schott kid had two swings, and if you add those up, that's 800-feet worth. Wow, I mean that's all you can say is ‘Wow.'"

Notre Dame’s Jonathan Lynch slides home to tie the game 9-9 during the sixth inning Tuesday at Notre Dame. The Bulldogs defeated Sikeston 10-9 in nine innings. Additional photos can be viewed at semoball.com. (ADAM VOGLER)

Heisserer started on the mound for Notre Dame but was replaced after the fifth inning by junior Justin Landewee.

Heisserer hurled five innings, allowing six runs on five hits. He struck out nine and walked four.

"He came out really pumped out," Graviett said. "We had the gun up there and he was getting in the upper 80s, and that's not him. He needs to be 83-85 to be successful with his movement. He's just jacked a little bit.

"He's been excited since they got beat in basketball. He said, ‘I want to throw that game against Sikeston.' He kind of came out a little too pumped, first outing on the mound. He's only going to get better."

Sikeston immediately got to Landewee. scoring three runs on two hits and three walks to take a 9-8 lead.

Notre Dame’s Kyle Campbell singles home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

"I had to do something," Landewee said. "It was a rough outing the first inning. I settled down and threw strikes and worked out of it."

The junior did not allow a baserunner over the final three innings, striking out four of the nine hitters.

"He's a gutsy kid," Graviett said about Landewee. "[After] that first inning, I knew he'd come back out and almost have that erased. He's just such a battler, whether it's on the field, defensively or at the plate. He's got a short memory, and in this game that's what you have to have.

"We knew his stuff was there. What he threw the last three innings is what we thought we'd get out of him in relief -- just a superb job."

Notre Dame tied the game in the sixth on a Heisserer single. It didn't score again until Campbell's game-winner in the ninth.

Notre Dame’s Cody Debrock hustles to first base during Tuesday’s game.

"That's a heck of a game to start off with," Scheeter said. "Right off the bat you get a [nine]-inning, one-run affair. I thought both teams played really, really well. Either team could have won it.

"It just came down to they executed there late -- that big stolen base there in the ninth inning and then a single by the No. 9 hitter. That's big-time right there. Give credit to Notre Dame. They did what they needed to do to win that ballgame."

Sikeston 003 303 000 -- 9 7 1

Notre Dame 222 021 001 -- 10 12 0

WP -- Justin Landewee (1-0). LP -- Tyler Anderson (0-1). HR -- Jesse Schott 2 (ND), Luke Keefer (S), Trent McMillan (S). 3B -- Anderson (S), Cody Heisserer (ND). 2B -- Anderson (S), Patrick Smith (S), Marc Rivas (ND). Multiple Hits: Sikeston -- Keefer 2-4, Anderson 2-5, Smith 2-4. Notre Dame -- Heisserer 2-3, Schott 3-4, Rivas 2-4. Records -- Notre Dame, 1-0, Sikeston 0-1.