Unbeaten Notre Dame baseball team sweeps Central

The Notre Dame Regional High School baseball team already had pulled off two final-inning comebacks during its first six games of the season.

Chalk up another for the Bulldogs -- and this one might have been the sweetest yet because it came against their arch rivals.

Notre Dame scored twice in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie visiting Central 2-2 on Monday. The squads played three extra frames before the Bulldogs squeezed out a 3-2, 10-inning victory in the opener of a doubleheader that counted as a SEMO Conference game.

The Bulldogs finished off the sweep with a 6-2 nonconference victory as they remained undefeated at 8-0, including 1-0 in league play. The Tigers fell to 4-8 overall and 1-3 in the SEMO Conference.

"It's always really good to beat Central. I've got a lot of friends over there," senior catcher Chase Simmons said.

Simmons acknowledged that the Bulldogs were fortunate to pull out Monday's first game. Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett agreed.

"We really didn't deserve to win it as well as Chase [Hagerty] was pitching," Graviett said about Central's sophomore ace. "But we found a way to win. That's the third time already. This time of the year, you'll take it."

Hagerty cruised into the bottom of the seventh inning with a two-hit shutout as he appeared ready to finish off the victory.

A one-out bloop single to short right field by junior third baseman Luke Haines and a walk to Simmons gave the Bulldogs hope.

That hope appeared to fade a bit when the next batter popped out, meaning Notre Dame was down to its final out.

Senior left fielder Stephen Brennan's slow ground ball to third base looked like it would end things.

But the high throw was ruled to have pulled senior first baseman Ramsey Scott up off the bag, allowing Brennan to reach on an error that loaded the bases.

Senior right fielder Cody DeBrock's pop fly to short left field just eluded senior shortstop Calvin Lovig, who nearly made a sliding catch.

DeBrock's single plated both Haines and sophomore pinch-runner Chase Urhahn as the Bulldogs tied the contest.

"We had a chance to end the game in the seventh inning," said Central coach Steve Williams, who recently announced that he planned to retire following this season, his 22nd in charge of the Tigers.

Williams lamented Central's other earlier opportunities to build on its 2-0 lead as the Tigers stranded 11 runners.

Central had runners on second and third with nobody out in the 10th inning but failed to score. The Tigers lost despite outhitting the Bulldogs 12-6.

"We had chances the first three, four innings to add on and didn't do it. We had chances late," Williams said. "You let good teams hang around, it comes back to haunt you."

The Bulldogs finally won it in the bottom of the 10th with senior Sean Magee, Central's third pitcher of the game, on the mound.

Junior Josh Haggerty doubled with one out, Haines was hit by a pitch and a passed ball moved the runners up to second and third.

Junior Chase Eubank relieved and intentionally walked Simmons to load the bases. Junior DH Matt Westrich then delivered a walk-off RBI single just inside the first-base bag.

"I just wanted to help the team win the game against our big rival," said Westrich, a left-handed hitter. "They were throwing me outside all day so I was actually looking opposite field. But the ball was in so I took it down the [right-field] line."

Chase Hagerty allowed four hits and two runs -- both unearned -- in seven innings. He struck out three and walked two.

"He battled. He did a good job. He deserved a better fate," Williams said.

Junior Matt Chism fired two hitless innings. Magee took the loss.

Notre Dame's pitching was also stout. Starter Josh Haggerty allowed one run and seven hits in five innings. The left-hander struck out six and walked one.

Junior Ross James, the winner, gave up one run and five hits over the final five innings. He struck out four and walked three.

"I thought both guys threw well," Graviett said.

Scott doubled twice to pace Central's offense. Chism and senior Tyler Anderson added two hits apiece. Scott and Anderson had the Tigers' RBIs.

Westrich paced the Bulldogs with two hits.

Notre Dame rolled in the nightcap that saw both teams use quite a few younger players who normally do not start.

One constant remained for the Bulldogs -- more stellar pitching.

Sophomore Graham Ruopp recorded his first varsity victory with five one-hit, shutout innings. He struck out three and walked four.

Said Graviett, whose team entered Monday with an 0.72 ERA: "Graham is going to be a good one. We go six deep on the varsity level [in starting pitchers] with guys we feel comfortable with."

Another sophomore, left-hander Hunter Eftink, gave up two runs -- both in the seventh inning after Notre Dame led 6-0 -- and two hits in two innings. He fanned four and walked three.

Westrich again had two hits as Notre Dame outhit Central 9-3 and beat the Tigers for the seventh straight time.

Urhahn added two hits for the Bulldogs.

(Game 1)

Central 001 001 000 0 -- 2 12 1

Notre Dame 000 000 200 1 -- 3 6 1

WP -- Ross James. LP -- Sean Magee. 2B -- Ramsey Scott (C) 2, Josh Haggerty (ND). Multiple hits -- Central: Scott 2-, Tyler Anderson 2-4, Matt Chism 2-5. Notre Dame: Matt Westrich 2-5. Records -- Central 4-7, Notre Dame 7-0.

(Game 2)

Central 000 000 2 -- 2 3 2

Notre Dame 103 011 x -- 6 9 1

WP -- Graham Ruopp. LP -- Josh Morse. 2B -- Calvin Lovig (C). Multiple hits -- Notre Dame: Chase Urhahn 2-3, Matt Westrich 2-4. Records -- Central 4-8, Notre Dame 8-0.