TIGERS DROP GAME TO BULLDOGS

Entering the 2001 high school baseball season, a lot of people might have predicted a Cape Girardeau Central sweep over city rival Notre Dame.

After all, the Tigers were regarded as one of the state's better Class 4A teams while the Class 2A Bulldogs were expected to be in a rebuilding situation after two straight trips to the state's final four.

But Notre Dame has turned the tables on Central. The host Bulldogs' impressive 7-2 victory Tuesday afternoon completed a three-game season sweep of the Tigers.

The Bulldogs, who might be surprising everybody except themselves this year, improved to 16-6 after winning for the 14th time in their last 16 games.

"We lost quite a few kids from last year, but I knew we had some good kids coming back," said Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett. "I'm sure a lot of people are surprised by how well we're doing, but I thought we'd be very competitive."

Of winning all three meetings with Central this season, a smiling Graviett said, "It's tough to beat a good team three times in one year. I don't know the last time a Notre Dame team in any sport beat Central three times in one year. It's a big win for the program."

Meanwhile, the troubles continue for the Tigers, who fell to 12-12.

"We didn't give them much of a challenge," said an obviously disgusted Central coach Steve Williams. "The way we played, it's disappointing, but that's been the case all year long.

"We're 12-12. That pretty much describes the performance we've had this year."

Scott Eftink was one of the main reasons Central stayed in a funk Tuesday. The left-hander -- who can best be described as crafty -- allowed just three hits in five shutout innings. He walked three and struck out one.

"It was one of my better games," said Eftink. "I had pretty good control, although I walked a few. I try to work ahead and I had great defense behind me."

Said Graviett of Eftink, "He keeps people off balance. He doesn't overpower you, but he knows how to pitch. He did a real good job."

Notre Dame, which knocked out Central ace Jason Chavez in a five-run third inning that broke the game open, had 10 hits, including a home run by Andrew DePeder.

DePeder had two hits while driving in two runs and scoring twice. John O'Rourke, Lance Dohogne and Matt Pobst also added two hits apiece for the Bulldogs.

Zac Fidler and John Snider each had two of Central's six hits.

In 2 2/3 innings, Chavez allowed six runs (five earned) and six hits, with four strikeouts and one walk.

"Jason didn't have his control," Williams said. "He was throwing strikes, but he wasn't hitting his spots. He was throwing pitches too good to hit."

Jay Pierce had some success for the Tigers as he hurled the final 3 1/3 innings, allowing just one run on four hits. He fanned two and walked three.

Scott Wittenborn pitched the last two innings for Notre Dame, giving up two runs (one earned) and three hits, with one strikeout and one walk.

Notre Dame grabbed a first-inning lead. Shane Kistner led off with a single, O'Rourke reached on a bunt single, both runners move up on a passed ball and Kistner scored on a ground out by DePeder.

Then came the five-run third that featured three hits, two walks, a hit batter and an error. DePeder and Pobst had doubles in the frame while Dohogne added a single. Pobst, Dohogne and Todd Friend all drove in runs.

Central never really was in the game after that. DePeder's solo homer to left in the fourth made it 7-0 and the Tigers tacked on basically meaningless runs in the sixth and seventh.

The Tigers will host Farmington today in a makeup game while the Bulldogs will entertain Shawnee (Ill.), also in a makeup game that will close out their regular season.