Notre Dame baseball team pounces on New Madrid, earns spot in SEMO Conference tourney semis

Notre Dame starting pitcher Graham Ruopp struck out the side in the top of the first inning.

Chase Urhahn hit the third pitch he saw over the fence in right field to lead off the bottom of the first inning.

It was that kind of day for the Bulldogs.

Ruopp hurled a three-hitter, and Notre Dame erupted for four first-inning runs on its way to a 14-0 shellacking of visiting New Madrid County Central in the opening round of the SEMO Conference Tournament on Monday.

The Bulldogs (20-3) advanced to today's championship semifinals against Poplar Bluff, 4-1 winners over Dexter, at 4 p.m. at Capaha Field. A win there puts Notre Dame in the tournament final, slated for 8 p.m.

"That's what I was looking for in the first win," said Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett. "You couldn't script it any better."

"Just to get the first one [win] is key," said Notre Dame catcher Chase Simmons, who went 3 for 3 with a double and drove in four runs. "Just the mentality of putting runs on the board and capitalizing on the opportunities."

The Bulldogs did that and more, scoring in every inning and leaving just three runners on base. Meanwhile, Ruopp (4-0) was at his shutdown best, walking just one and striking out eight while not allowing an opposing runner to advance past second base.

"Coach wanted us to get the lead in the first inning," Ruopp said. "All I had to do was throw strikes and let my defense work for me."

It didn't take the Bulldogs long to establish control. After Urhahn's homer to open the bottom of the first, Josh Haggerty singled and was sacrificed to second, then took third on a wild pickoff attempt. Simmons followed with a single, plating Haggerty, stole second and took third on a wild pitch. After Josh Jansen walked, Cody DeBrock doubled to right center, scoring Simmons and moving Jansen to third. Jansen scored on Luke Haines' sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.

"Whenever you get a lead like that it cools you down on the mound," Ruopp said. "It gives you a chance to settle down and throw strikes."

Notre Dame scored six more times in the second. Landewee and Simmons stroked run-scoring doubles and Haines belted a two-run home run to deep left to highlight the inning.

"Fastball inside," said Haines of his home run, his first this season. "I was just trying to drive the ball, make a nice, even swing."

Ever since last week, when Notre Dame erupted for 10 runs in the fifth and sixth innings of a 10-1 win at Sikeston, the Bulldogs' bats have been smoking.

"The weather is a key factor in the spring," Simmons said. "It's heating up, and our bats are heating up. And we're seeing the ball better."

Graviett said the weather is just one factor in the Bulldogs' performance at the plate.

"Also, it's getting later in the season," he said. "We're getting a lot more at-bats. We're a tremendously strong hitting team."

Ruopp allowed just a single to Eagles designated hitter Austin Godwin through three innings. The Bulldogs' defense did its part, too, center fielder Haggerty throwing Godwin out at second on a rare fielder's choice in the second. With Godwin at first, Jashawn McDaniel singled sharply to center, and Haggerty charged the ball, fielded it and threw to second before Godwin could reach the base for an out.

With two out and a runner on first in the third inning, the Eagles' Tripp Keene hit one toward the hole at short. Landewee ranged far to his right, dived and stopped the ball, then scrambled to his knees and flipped to second for a force-out to end the inning.

"Notre Dame always has a good ball club," said NMCC coach Justin McClarty, whose team fell to 9-9 on the season. "They swung the bats well. We got in a hole early and couldn't dig out."

Graviett was happy Ruopp got through all five innings, saving his top two hurlers for today's semifinal and, possibly, a tournament championship game.

"This sets us up real good, only needing to use one arm today," he said, hinting he'll probably pitch Landewee today against Poplar Bluff.

NMCC 000 00 -- 0 3 1

Notre Dame 462 2x -- 14 12 1

WP: Graham Ruopp (4-0). LP: Garrison Keene. 2B: Cody DeBrock (ND), Justin Landewee (ND), Chase Simmons (ND), Luke Haines (ND). HR: Chase Urhahn (ND), Haines (ND). Multiple hits: Notre Dame -- Simmons 3-3, Haines 2-2, DeBrock 2-2. Records: NMCC 9-9, Notre Dame 20-3.