Notre Dame softball team finishes second in Class 3

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- During the Class 3 state softball championship on Saturday evening, Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett was reminded of his Bulldogs baseball team that claimed a state title in June.

Unfortunately for Graviett and Notre Dame, it was the Warrenton Warriors, who crushed four home runs and never trailed in a 12-2, six-inning win over the Bulldogs at the Killian Softball Complex, that gave him flashbacks.

The win marked the first state title for the Warriors, who concluded their season at 28-2.

"You can't give them a lead," Graviett said. "That goes back to the baseball team last spring with us. Anytime we got a lead and our hitters started to relax, we just overtook the game, and that's what happened today. Jumping out 5-0, that just gives their hitters the chance to sit there and relax and just try to drive the ball out of the ballpark. They were really taking big hacks. That's something that you've got to put pressure on them to get their swings cut down and spotting them those runs early on wasn't good for us."

After a scoreless top of the first for the Bulldogs, Warrenton's Kelsey Huenefeld led off the Warriors' half of the inning with a home run to left field.

Notre Dame players accept the second-place trophy after their loss to Warrenton in the Class 3 championship game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2015 in Springfield, Missouri. (SCOTT PURYEAR)

Two of the next three batters drew walks before Amanda Lafaver singled to left to load the bases with one out.

Erica Rugh then sent her first home run of her senior season over the left-field fence for a grand slam that put the Warriors up 5-0 after one.

"They were as good as advertised," Graviett said of the Warriors, whose only two losses were each by one run in extra innings. "What little I caught on them, everybody was kind of saying the same words, 'You're going to have your hands full.'"

Notre Dame senior center fielder Christina Scherer drew a one-out walk in the top of the third before junior designated player Lily Dohogne worked a full count before blasting one over the fence in right center to cut it to 5-2.

"Big stepping up for her," Graviett said. "Somebody had to put us on the board to give us a chance and that was a big lift for her. She really came into her own, especially putting a little power into our slap-hitting lineup."

Warrenton's batters were set down in order in the second and third innings.

In the top of the fourth, junior right fielder Lindsey Elfrink reached with one out when the shortstop threw the ball wide of the first baseman.

Junior second baseman Payton Friga then laid a bunt down the first-base line with two outs. She evaded the first baseman who scooped up the ball and beat her throw to the base. Junior catcher Morgan Duschell then hit a grounder to the shortstop, who got Friga out at second to end the threat.

The Bulldogs loaded the bases in the top of the fifth. Scherer drew a leadoff walk and sophomore shortstop Madison Landeros got an infield single before junior left fielder Abby Rollet reached on a bunt single with one out.

Senior third baseman Maddie Urhahn worked a full count in the next at-bat. She took a pitch from starter Taylor Nordwald and took a step toward first base before a strikeout was signalled.

Urhahn thought the pitch was low and outside but said she "should've swung at it." A fly out stranded the bases loaded.

"That's a pitch that can go either way," Graviett said of the called third strike to Urhahn. "That's a tough one to take but also, with the way the zone was today, I can't be disappointed with her because it had been a ball most of the day, I'd felt like. That's one of our senior leaders, and she battled to get that full count. Game of inches. It goes the other way, maybe we get back in it and have a chance there."

Warrenton's response in the bottom of the inning was a leadoff double and a two-run home run to left-center by Kaylee Anderson that pushed the lead to 7-2 and knocked senior starting pitcher Haylie Santos, who struggled to figure out the umpire's strike zone, from the game.

"I know that (assistant coach) Ray (Reinagel) said that I let the rise balls inside float over the plate," Santos said. "It was also hard because I wasn't like getting the outside calls or my changeup outside calls. There was like a fine borderline between too high to where they were going to hit them as home runs and then too low and it wasn't going to get called."

Junior Ellie Retz relieved her and got the first batter she faced to fly out before Destinee Frost hit a solo shot to right-center that made it 8-2 Warrenton.

Retz walked a batter with two outs before giving up back-to-back base hits to right that drove in the Warriors' ninth run.

Notre Dame recorded an out in the bottom of the sixth before a walk and back-to-back singles made it 10-2.

A second walk and an RBI single to right by Rugh made it 11-2.

Nordwald, who allowed two earned runs on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts to pick up the win in the circle, singled home the third run of the inning to end the game via mercy rule at 12-2 with one out in the sixth.

"I thought she did a good job of moving it in and out and kind of busted us in some and kind of controlled our hitters," Graviett said of Nordwald. "We had a chance there it was 5-2, bases loaded, one out, so when you get to the state championship game, that's all you can ask for, to have a chance.

"I thought that was our opportunity, and we just couldn't bust through at that point."

The Bulldogs finished the season with a record of 27-4 and second in Class 3.

"There's 80-something teams in Class 3 that'd probably trade spots with us in a heartbeat," Graviett said. "I thought the girls really came together and we became a complete team. They really understood what we were trying to do offensively and just really took off with it. Great job just to get to this point and tremendously proud of the season that they accomplished."

Graviett said he hopes the underclassmen -- all 12 of them -- left Saturday night's loss with "a desire to come back."

Santos, one of six seniors on the roster, wanted her teammates that will return to remember the feeling of excitement they had at making it as far as they did.

"Obviously sad, but also proud," Santos said. "I mean I know that's not the best we could've played, but like Graviett said in the huddle right after, it's been five years since we've gotten past sectionals, so to bring this back we showed the underclassmen what it takes to come back and to be in the championship game and what it's like and what it feels like, so hopefully we brought back some excitement."

"It's just, I know I should be happy, I really do, because second in state is awesome," Urhahn said. "It's just heartbreaking that we weren't one step ahead."

Notre Dame 002 000 -- 2 6 0

Warrenton 500 043 -- 12 14 2

WP -- Taylor Nordwald. LP -- Haylie Santos. 2B -- Kelsey Huenefled (W), Nordwald (W). HR -- Lily Dohogne (ND), Huenefeld (W), Kaylee Anderson (W), Destinee' Frost (W), Erica Rugh (W). Multiple hits -- Notre Dame: Madison Landeros 2-3; Warrenton: Huenefeld 2-4, Frost 2-3, Amanda lafaver 2-4, Ruth 2-3, Nordwald 3-4.