NOTRE DAME ENDS OPENING WEEK WITH STELLAR 3-0 RECORD

Another Class 4A team, another Notre Dame victim.

Notre Dame, a Class 2A squad, won its third straight game over a 4A program, romping visiting Jackson 12-2 in six innings Friday.

The Bulldogs, winners over Sikeston, Poplar Bluff and Jackson in a span of four days, scored seven runs in the sixth to put away the self-destructing Indians by the 10-run rule and improve to 3-0 on the season.

"For us to be 3-0 after a week against Sikeston, Poplar Bluff and Jackson, shoot, we'll take that every year," Notre Dame coach Chris Neff said. "Now we go into a week where we play Kelly and Chaffee and there can't be a let down. We have to take them seriously. We're talking about district opponents now."

Jackson (1-1) committed three errors in the sixth inning and seven for the game, including four by junior shortstop Tory Meyr.

Six of Notre Dame's runs were unearned.

"We made a lot of mistakes today," Jackson coach Sam Sides said. "Tory usually plays better. He just had a bad game. He'll come around. We just didn't make the plays and they did and that's why they got the win."

Notre Dame catcher Scott Reinagel punched two opposite-field doubles and ended up with four RBIs from the cleanup spot. In all, he was 3-for-4, reached base in all four of his plate appearances and scored twice. He also threw out a runner trying to steal.

"Today I was just able to find the holes," said Reinagel, a switch hitter. "I've been hitting the ball hard both ways, but I was just on today. My defense was also better today. When I play good defensively, I usually play better offensively."

"He came in today and got locked in and got focussed," Neff said. "He's a good player."

After the first two innings, the game looked like it was going to be a pitchers' duel.

Jackson pitcher Josh Hopkins and Notre Dame starter Mark Ostendorf were each in command early.

Ostendorf ended up pitching all six innings. He gave up the two earned runs on just two hits. He walked four and fanned nine.

The first hit he allowed was a fourth-inning single to right by Jackson cleanup hitter Nathan Brown, which preceded a home run by second baseman Andy Callis.

"Mark threw well," Reinagel said. "When he gets ahead in the count, he's tough to beat. He has a good curve and that was working today."

The Bulldogs got on the board first with two runs in the third off of RBI singles by shortstop Josh Eftink and Reinagel.

Jackson tied up the game in the fourth on the Callis homer to left.

After that, Ostendorf settled down and Hopkins started to slip.

Notre Dame plated three more in the fifth to assume a 5-2 lead.

The Bulldogs busted the game open in the sixth and final inning. Notre Dame sent 12 batters to the plate and the game eventually ended on an error by Meyr off the bat of Tommy Wencewicz which scored the 12th run.

Notre Dame smacked eight hits -- four less than Thursday's game when it downed Poplar Bluff 9-3 -- but it also took advantage of five walks and the seven errors. The Bulldogs stole seven bases.

"We sprinkled the hits yesterday," Neff said. "We got some nice hits today, especially there in the sixth."

Hopkins went 5 1/3 innings for the loss. He allowed five runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk. He struck out four.

"I was kind of concerned about our pitching going in," Sides said. "But Hopkins I thought pitched an outstanding game. He had pretty good control and he did what he wanted to do. We just didn't make the plays and that's how you get beat."