Notre Dame squeaks past Potosi in Class 3 sectional

The Notre Dame High School baseball team has spent much of its one-loss season mauling the opposition with lopsided scores.

There was nothing lopsided about Tuesday's Class 3 sectional matchup against visiting Potosi.

That mattered not at all to the Bulldogs, the state's top-ranked Class 3 squad which survived a 3-2 nail-biter.

"If we win big or small, it doesn't really matter as long as we win," junior DH Jeremy Essner said.

Added senior center fielder Austin Greer: "It was a big game for us. We didn't want it to be this close, but the main thing is we won."

The victory advances the 26-1 Bulldogs into Thursday's quarterfinal round against either Lutheran South or Lutheran North.

Those St. Louis-area squads had their sectional game rained out Tuesday and will try to play today.

If Lutheran South wins, Notre Dame will host the quarterfinal at 5 p.m. If Lutheran North wins, the Bulldogs will be on the road at a time to be determined.

The Bulldogs felt somewhat fortunate that they'll be playing at all Thursday after underdog Potosi (16-7) provided a major challenge.

"You expect to see these types of teams this time of year," said Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett, whose squad is shooting for its second straight final four berth after losing in last year's state semifinals. "They're a quality team.

"Pretty, ugly, it doesn't matter. They could have won as easily as we did, but we'll take it."

Notre Dame's high-powered offense -- the Bulldogs entered with a .384 batting average -- managed just six hits against left-handed starter Chad Smith and reliever Devin Hampton

"We usually hit the ball better than what we did," said Greer, Notre Dame's batting leader with a .506 average before Tuesday who had his 18-game hitting streak snapped. "I expected us to hit better, but they threw good."

Essner provided the winning margin in the top of the fourth inning (Notre Dame was the visiting team on the scoreboard after a pre-game coin flip).

Leading off the frame, Essner ripped a pitch from Smith over the center-field fence, which measures 370 feet from home plate. That blast broke a 2-2 tie.

"I pretty much knew it was gone," said Essner, who has two of Notre Dame's 25 homers on the season. "It felt good coming off the bat."

The Bulldogs had to fight an uphill battle after Potosi grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second inning off starter Dylan Drury.

Drury struck out Brad Wright leading off the frame, but the ball was in the dirt and went to the screen as Wright reached on the wild pitch.

With one out, Matt Marler belted a two-run homer over the right-field fence. It was one of only three Potosi hits.

Notre Dame came right back to tie the contest in the third inning despite getting just one hit.

Junior shortstop Colton Young led off with a walk and junior left fielder Jake Pewitt singled. Both runners moved up on a wild pickoff throw to second base by Smith.

Young scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Drury as Pewitt alertly also tagged and advanced to third, from where he came home on Greer's sacrifice fly to right.

Essner followed one inning later with his homer.

"Jeremy's home run was big," Graviett said. "We tied it and you want to come right back and get that advantage."

Pewitt and junior first baseman Wesley Glaus each had two hits for Notre Dame.

"We didn't hit like we usually do, but I give their pitchers a lot of credit for keeping the ball down," Pewitt said. "I expected their team to be good since they won their district."

Drury improved to 10-0 as he worked the first 5 1/3 innings, allowing three hits and four walks while striking out eight.

Young notched his third save -- he is also 9-0 -- by pitching the final 1 2/3 innings.

Young replaced Drury in the sixth after Potosi got a runner to second with one out. He retired the next two batters, then worked around a one-out walk in the seventh.

Notre Dame 002 100 0 -- 3 6 0

Potosi 020 000 0 -- 2 3 2

WP -- Dylan Drury, 10-0. S -- Colton Young, 3. LP -- Chad Smith, 5-5. HR -- Jeremy Essner (ND), Matt Marler (P). 2B -- Jake Pewitt (ND), Ryan Bass (ND), Smith (P). Multiple hits -- Notre Dame, Wesley Glaus 2-3, Pewitt 2-4. Records -- Notre Dame 26-1, Potosi 16-7.