Notre Dame edges Sikeston in eight innings in Class 3 semifinal

By DEREK JAMES

Sikeston Standard Democrat

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Sikeston and Notre Dame have developed quite a baseball rivalry the last several years.

Fittingly, Tuesday's Class 3 District 1 semifinal game between the two teams had to be decided in extra innings at Sikeston's VFW Stadium.

When the smoke cleared, Sikeston's district dominance ended with a wild pitch that allowed Notre Dame's Shane Menz to score the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning for a 3-2 victory.

Second-seeded Notre Dame (18-6) advanced to the district final to play top-seeded Kennett (18-5) 4:30 p.m. today at Sikeston. Kennett defeated Dexter 7-1 in the other semifinal game.

Notre Dame managed to score the winning run right after a bang-bang play at first went against Sikeston.

With one out and runners on first and second, Jordan Buchheit sent a screamer down the third-base line only to see Sikeston's Cody Anderson make a spectacular diving stop. He scrambled to tag third for the force out and fired an off-balance throw to first to try for the double play, but the throw pulled first baseman Tyler Baker off the bag.

Heads up running by Menz allowed him to round second and make it to third.

As Sikeston hurler Jerod Scott worked a count with Luke Moll, a hard breaking ball went into the dirt and skipped a few feet past catcher Chase Ferrell.

Menz broke immediately and slid head-first into home as Ferrell's throw couldn't connect with Scott.

Notre Dame's players exploded out of the dugout to celebrate -- it's the team's first district victory against Sikeston since 2003's upset of the top-ranked Bulldogs.

"We teach our guys all year to be aggressive, see the ball and read balls in the dirt," said Notre Dame assistant Tim Garner, who was filling in for head coach Jeff Graviett, who had his jaw broken by an errant throw in Monday's first-round game. "Shane got a good jump on it and it scooted by and he was aggressive. That's what we look for."

Notre Dame managed to get just one runner past second base up until the sixth inning. Buchheit's groundout RBI that inning cut the lead to 2-1.

Notre Dame tied the score in the bottom of the seventh on Jacob Valleroy's single.

Notre Dame 3, Sikeston 2

Sikeston 000 011 00 -- 2 8 1 ND 000 001 11 -- 3 5 0 WP -- Himmelberg LP -- Scott. 2B -- Scott Droddy (S), Cody Black (S), Jacob Essner (ND); Multiple hitters -- Sikeston, Black 2-3, Droddy 2-4; ND, Essner 3-4, Jacob Valleroy 2-3. Records -- Sikeston, 14-11. Notre Dame 18-6.