Notre Dame softball team downs Lafayette, advances to Class 3 championship

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Notre Dame softball coach Jeff Graviett was unsure how his team would respond after giving up three runs in the first inning of its Class 3 state semifinal on Friday.

His uncertainties were eased when the Bulldogs chipped away at the deficit over the next three innings and absolutely erased when they plated seven runs in the top of the sixth on their way to a 10-3 victory over Lafayette (St. Joseph's) at the Killian Softball Complex.

The win secured ND's spot in Saturday's Class 3 championship game against Warrenton, which is slated for a 4 p.m. start.

"Huge confidence booster that inning was," ND sophomore shortstop Madison Landeros said. "The excitement level in the dugout was insane. Everyone was screaming. No one could hear anything. My ears were just full of screams and the excitement was just insane. I just knew we had to hold them."

Junior second baseman Payton Friga led off the sixth with the game tied at 3-all.

After fouling off several pitches and working a full count, Friga singled to left to start a string of seven consecutive Bulldogs reaching base without recording an out.

"Usually when I go through those with so many fouls I just kind of like give up on myself. But this one meant a lot to me," Friga said. "I kept saying to myself, 'I'm going to get a hit. I'm going to get a hit.' Finally that last pitch I put everything I had into it. I was going to get a hit. I was going to lead off that inning with a hit."

Junior catcher Morgan Duschell was then hit by a pitch and senior center fielder Christina Scherer singled to short to load the bases for Landeros.

The sophomore sent an 0-2 pitch over the left fielder and to the fence for a bases-clearing double that put Notre Dame up 6-3.

"In the beginning of the game I was doing a stepping stance and I guess I kind of realized, 'Well, maybe I need to [simplify] it,'" Landeros said, "so I just went to putting my foot down in a stance and it really got my timing on. I just knew I had to make contact. That's all I was going for. Just an RBI."

Junior designated player Lily Dohogne doubled home Landeros, and Mallory Pobst, who pinch ran for Dohogne, scored on a base hit up the middle off the bat of junior left fielder Abby Rollet that made it 8-3.

Notre Dame's Haylie Santos delivers a pitch to a Lafayette (St. Joseph's) batter during a Class 3 state semifinal on Friday at the Killian Softball Complex in Springfield, Missouri. The Bulldogs won the game 10-3. (Scott Puryear)

Senior third baseman Maddie Urhahn doubled to left to plate Rollet.

Urhahn advanced to third on a bunt, which was the first out of the frame. After a strikeout Friga reached on an error by the shortstop that scored Urhahn to make it 10-3. Notre Dame was credited with an 11th run on the scoreboard, but the official scorers credited the Bulldogs with seven runs in the inning.

Seven of the Bulldogs' 19 hits came in that inning.

"Just a lot of hitters that are finally relaxed," Graviett said of what he saw. "Once Madison got that big hit and gave us a little bit of a cushion you saw a lot of girls just go up there and having good plate appearances, weren't worried about doing too much and just staying within themselves. Hitting's contagious and once you get one doing it it seems like they all fall in order."

The Fighting Irish led 3-0 after the first inning. Leadoff batter Jacee Winn singled to start the bottom of the first, was bunted to second, took third on a wild pitch and scored on an errant throw by pitcher Haylie Santos to first.

The next batter, freshman center fielder Baylee Hoffman hit a two-run home run to center.

"At first it was kind of rough," Landeros said. "I think we were kind of nervous, I really do, and then as you can tell the nerves just went away."

Rollet led off the top of the second with a double, stole third and scored on a groundout to trim the deficit to 3-1.

Anne Ziegler, Friga and Duschell hit consecutive singles to load the bases before an error by the Lafayette third baseman allowed Ziegler to score to make it 3-2. A groundout stranded the bases loaded.

Friga reached on a two-base error with one out in the top of the fourth, took third on a single by Duschell and scored on a passed ball to tie it.

Duschell made a critical play in the home half of the frame. After a leadoff double and a one-out walk, Duschell made a snap throw to Landeros, who tagged the lead runner heading for third.

The batter then doubled to put runners in scoring position.

The Bulldogs intentionally walked Winn before a popup to first stranded the bases loaded.

"Just one of our pickoffs that we work on all year and spend a lot of time on for these types of situations," Graviett said. "We probably should've picked about four girls off today and finally got one, got in a rundown. Just trying to pick up some cheap outs and eliminate baserunners. It's been huge for us all year long, and when you've got a girl like Morgan back there with the arm she's got we're going to take advantage of it as much as we can."

Santos and the Bulldogs set the Fighting Irish down in order over the final three innings.

Santos allowed three earned runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

"I saw a senior step up today," Graviett said. "Once we gave up the three, which she threw the one away but as good as she was pitching we should've been out of that inning before the home run, but after that she settled in and threw like we thought she was capable of and being a leader on the mound for us today."

The Bulldogs improved to 27-3 with the win. Lafayette dropped to 22-7 before picking up an 11-6 victory in eight innings over Helias Catholic in the third-place game Friday night.

"It's what we've talked about from Day 1 of practice. We set our goals high," Graviett said. "That's what I told them out there -- they're going to be two of the teams left to play in the state of Missouri with it being the last game. Really excited. Really looking forward to the opportunity tomorrow."

Notre Dame 020 107 0 -- 10 19 1

Lafayette 300 000 0 -- 3 6 4

WP -- Haylie Santos. LP -- Jordan Hockaday. 2B -- Madison Landeros (ND) Lily Dohogne (ND), Abby Rollet 2 (ND), Maddie Urhahn (ND), Skylee Huffer (L) Makayla Salsbury (L). HR -- Baylee Hoffman (L). Multiple hits -- Lafayette: Jacee Winn 2-3, Hoffman 2-3; Notre Dame: Morgan Duschell 2-4, Christina Scherer 4-5, Landeros 3-5, Dohogne 2-5, Rollet 3-5, Friga 2-4.