Notre Dame baseball team run-rules Smithville to reach Class 4 title game

A seven-run sixth inning highlighted by Chase Urhahn's grand slam propelled the Notre Dame baseball team to a 13-3 run-rule victory over Smithville in six innings in a Class 4 semifinal on Friday.

The Bulldogs will face either St. Charles or Sullivan, which they defeated 15-0 on April 11, for the state championship at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at TR Hughes Ballpark in O'Fallon, Missouri.

Urhahn's slam completed his 2 for 5, six-RBI performance. Senior catcher Christian Job was 5 for 5 with five singles and two RBIs.

Notre Dame fell behind 1-0 in the bottom of the first before taking a 3-1 lead in the third on an RBI single by Job and two-RBI double by Thomas Siebert.

Smithville tied it with the help of a walk and hit batsman in the third, but Notre Dame added two in the fourth on a double by Urhahn before its seventh-inning outburst.

Graham Ruopp pitched the complete game for the victory. He allowed three hits and three earned runs in his six innings of work.