Notre Dame baseball team improves to 9-0 with win over Kennett

~The Bulldogs used a three-run HR by Chase Urhahn to defeat Kennett 10-6

For the first six innings of Thursday's SEMO Conference baseball game, the Kennett Indians were right there with state-ranked Notre Dame.

However, the unbeaten Bulldogs -- the No. 2 team in Class 4 -- scored three times in the top of the seventh inning to get some late breathing room and defeat Kennett 10-6 at Indian Park.

The game also was a big game for seedings in the Class 4, District 1 tournament slated for next month.

"Anytime you can pick one up it is nice," Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett said. "You want to stay in that top-seed echelon to get that bye so you don't have to use an arm in the first round of districts."

Chase Urhahn had a three-run home run for the Bulldogs in the fourth inning and Josh Haggerty added three doubles. Urhahn finished with four RBIs.

Hunter Eftink picked up his first win of the season. Eftink struck out four and allowed just two hits over 3 1/3 innings of relief.

The game was tied at 6-6 after five innings, but Notre Dame (9-0, 2-0 SEMO) took the lead for good in the top of the sixth inning when Urhahn hit a sacrifice fly off reliever Bud Hilburn to score Ross Essner.

The Bulldogs added some insurance in the top of the seventh when Blake Hagedorn singled home Tom Siebert, then added two more runs when a ball went off an outfielder's glove with the bases loaded.

Despite the loss, the Indians (4-4, 2-2) battled all day, rallying from four runs down to tie the game at 6-6 in the bottom of the fourth inning. Kennett trailed 6-2 with two out in the fourth when a ball was misplayed for an error, allowing Hilburn and Landon Vaughan to score and cut the deficit to 6-4. Payton Burke and Tom Edgington added RBI hits to score Kevonte Mitchell and Cody Clark, respectively, to tie the score.

"We were down a little bit there, but it showed something about our team as we were able to get ourselves back in the game," Kennett coach Aaron New said.

The Indians scored their first run of the game on Vaughan's solo home run in the bottom of the first inning -- the first of his high school career -- then scored a run in the bottom of the third on a Dalton Craig single, making it a 3-2 game at that point.

Vaughan was 3 for 4 on the day with three runs scored.

"Landon is really swinging the bat well and really playing well defensively," New said. "I'm as proud as I can be of him. All of the hard work he has done all winter to improve his athleticism is really showing now."

Tyson Campbell started for Kennett, but got a no-decision, allowing six runs (four earned) in five innings of work, striking out eight and walking two while allowing six hits.

"We had a gutty performance out of Hunter Eftink when he came in in relief," Graviett said. "That's really the difference."

Craig and Declan Wallace each had two hits for the Indians.

Notre Dame 201 301 3 -- 10 10 1

Kennett 101 400 0 -- 6 9 1

WP -- Hunter Eftink. LP -- Hilburn. HR -- Chase Urhan (ND), Vaughn (K). 2B -- Notre Dame: Josh Haggerty (3), Kennett: Edington (1). Multiple hits -- Notre Dame: Josh Haggerty 3-5, Chase Urhan 2-2; Kennett: Wallace 2-4, Vaughn 2-4, Craig 2-3.

Notre Dame catcher Blake Hagedorn tags out Kennett's Cody Clark to end the third inning Thursday in Kennett, Mo. Notre Dame won 10-6.