Notre Dame baseball team's offense efficient in win over Kennett

~ The Bulldogs have gone 3-0 against teams in Class 3 District 1

KENNETT, Mo. -- Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett hoped the strikeout total would remain low in Friday afternoon's baseball contest against the defending SEMO Conference champion Kennett Indians.

"The plan today coming in was to make contact," Graviett said. "We didn't want to get a double-digit strikeout total with Adam Grantham on the mound. That was really the goal."

Notre Dame's offense averaged one strikeout per inning and struck out four times during the four innings Kennett starting pitcher Adam Grantham pitched in Friday's seven-inning contest.

The Indians outhit the Bulldogs 8-6, but Notre Dame recorded six extra-base hits on its way to a 7-4 win.

Notre Dame's Justin Landewee delivers a pitch to a Kennett batter during Friday's game in Kennett, Mo. (DUSTIN WARD ~ Daily Dunklin Democrat)

"We've got to make routine plays," Kennett coach Aaron New said. "Little things like keeping runners from advancing on passed balls against a good team like Notre Dame gets you beat. Basically that's what got us beat today."

The Bulldogs jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning without recording a hit. Notre Dame's Jon Lynch drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. He moved to third when Cody DeBrock grounded out for the second out, and he scored on a wild pitch.

The Bulldogs' lead evaporated when Grantham connected for a two-run homer with one out in the bottom of the first. Kennett tacked on an additional run when Collin Smith reached base on a single and later scored following an infield error.

"It was a good way to start the game off and gave us a lot of momentum," Grantham said about Kennett's first home run of the season. "We just didn't keep it up."

Notre Dame tied the contest at 3-3 in the second inning when Justin Landewee and Griffen Siebert picked up back-to-back RBIs. Landewee hit an RBI triple after Chase Simmons connected for a one-out double.

Notre Dame shortstop Griffen Siebert throws to first base during Friday's game in Kennett, Mo.

Siebert followed the at-bat by driving home Notre Dame's third run of the game on a fielder's choice.

"Grantham throws hard," Landewee said. "I wanted to take it to right."

Lynch recorded a leadoff double to start the third for the Bulldogs, who took a 4-3 lead on Cody Heisserer's one-out double that drove home Lynch from second.

Kennett tied the game at 4-4 in the fourth.

Daniel Lockhert replaced Grantham on the mound to start the fifth, and he did not surrender a hit in his first inning of work. Lockhert struck out two of the first three hitters he faced.

Heisserer reached base to start the sixth when Kennett third baseman Kevonte Mitchell committed a throwing error. Landewee made Kennett pay with a two-out double to left to score Heisserer from first.

The Bulldogs tacked on two insurance runs in the seventh to increase their lead to 7-4.

Landewee picked up a complete-game win on the mound. He allowed eight hits and struck out eight.

"I was nervous coming into the game," he said. "I settled down, threw strikes and got my curveball over. It worked well."

Kennett's Grantham allowed four runs on four hits. Lockhert took the loss after allowing three runs on two hits over three innings.

Lynch finished 2 for 3 with two doubles, while Landewee also was 2 for 3.

"Hopefully the kids see you don't have to go up there with the focus of driving the ball into the gap to get a lot of doubles," Graviett said. "Very pleased with our offensive effort and focus at the plate today."

Notre Dame is 5-0 overall and 3-0 against teams in Class 3 District 1. The Bulldogs already have wins against the teams that advanced to the Class 3 District 1 title game last season -- Perryville and Kennett.

"You say if I can go 1-1 against those two teams, I'll take it," Graviett said. "To come out 2-0 is a big start, but everybody knows it is early. We are going to run into these teams again once or twice. It is going to be the same kind of battle, and that district is wide open from what I've seen this week."

Notre Dame 121 001 2 -- 7 6 1

Kennett 301 010 0 -- 4 8 2

WP -- Justin Landewee. LP -- Daniel Lockhert. HR -- Adam Grantham (K). 3B -- Landewee (ND). 2B -- Jon Lynch 2 (ND), Cody Heisserer (ND), Chase Simmons (ND), Landewee (ND), Collin Smith (K). Multiple hits -- Notre Dame: Lynch 2-3, Landewee 2-3; Kennett: Justin Smith 2-4, Collin Smith 2-3.