Urhahn's grand slam lifts Notre Dame in district championship

Notre Dame junior Maddie Urhahn could not have picked a better time to hit her first grand slam.

Urhahn had two home runs this season, but neither had the impact of her blast Sunday in the Class 3 District 1 softball championship game at Notre Dame Regional High School.

With the bases loaded on three bunt singles with no outs in the third inning, Urhahn belted a fly ball that cleared the wall in center field to give Notre Dame a six-run lead over Sikeston.

Top-seeded Notre Dame (20-7) went on to defeat third-seeded Sikeston (15-13) 10-2 and for its 11th district softball title.

"That's the first time I've hit one, and it felt amazing," Urhahn said about her grand slam that propelled the Bulldogs to their first crown since 2011. "I was shaking with nerves after I had already hit it, but it was still amazing. I've hit a couple [home runs] this year, but I think this one just came from inside, just wanting to win this one so bad, for the seniors especially, and for everyone."

Urhahn went 3 for 3 with five RBIs.

Notre Dame also beat Sikeston in the two previous meetings this season, winning by scores of 13-6 and 7-1.

Sikeston, which dropped to Class 3 in softball this year, defeated Doniphan 5-4 in a quarterfinal and Ste, Genevieve 4-0 in a semifinal to reach the title game.

Notre Dame, which received a first-round bye, defeated fourth-seeded Perryville 7-0 in the semifinals Thursday.

Sikeston and Notre Dame were supposed to meet Friday, but inclement weather postponed the game.

Notre Dame's Carson Freeman lifts the first-place plaque as Maria Layton, left, Taylor Hess and Nikki Peters join her after defeating Sikeston 10-2 in the Class 3 District 1 championship Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014 at Notre Dame Regional High School. (Fred Lynch)

Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett said the two extra days gave his team time to adjust to Sikeston starting pitcher Madison Smith's pitching style.

"We were ready to play right then and there, but it definitely helps when you get a couple days to go back and work," Graviett said. "We had seen her before and knew she went away, away, away, so our girls adjusted to it in the off days in practice, and it helped today."

Notre Dame scored two runs in the bottom of the first.

Christina Scheerer walked to begin the inning and took third on a base hit by Taylor Hess, who then stole second. With one out, Scheerer scored on a passed ball to make it 1-0 and Hess moved up to third. Urhahn scored Hess with a single to left field.

Urhahn upped the lead to 6-0 with her blast in the third.

Sikeston third baseman Maggie Shepherd responded with a two-run home run to cut the lead to 6-2 in the fourth inning.

However, Sikeston struggled to hit consistently with runners in scoring position from that point on. Sikeston, which had five hits, stranded eight runners over the final three innings, including the bases loaded with two outs in the fifth inning, when Notre Dame pitcher Nikki Peters sandwiched two walks around a single to Kylie Noe. Peters recorded one of her 11 strikeouts in the game to end the threat.

Notre Dame pitcher Nikki Peters throws to a Sikeston batter during the fourth inning of the Class 3 District 1 championship Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014 at Notre Dame Regional High School. (Fred Lynch)

"You've got to credit Nikki because she was on today," Sikeston coach Eric Voorhees said. "Even though we were down late, we had chances to score and push through, and she made the pitches she needed to get us out."

Notre Dame added two runs in the fourth on three singles. Carson Freeman led off with a hit, stole second and scored when Scheerer singled. Scheerer moved up on the throw home and scored on a single by Morgan Duschell.

Freeman extended Notre Dame's lead with a two-run home run in the fifth inning. The senior had an inside-the-park home run at the Seckman tournament last month, but had never hit one over the fence.

"I guess it was just my adrenaline pumping because it's the district championship. I don't know where that came from," Freeman said with a laugh. "I thought it was just a little blooper to center before I looked up and they said it was a home run. It caught me off guard for sure."

Notre Dame will visit De Soto, Missouri, for a sectional contest Wednesday. The teams split a pair of games this season. Notre Dame edged De Soto 7-6 in the third-place game of the Notre Dame SoftballFest on Sept. 6, then lost to the Dragons 16-3 two days later.

"They beat us once and we beat them, so it will be our rubber game," Graviett said. "It's the chance to move to the quarterfinals and play for a final four. We'll just have to come out there, give them our best game and try to prove we're a little better than the last time they played us."

Sikeston 000 200 0 -- 2 5 0

Notre Dame 204 220 x -- 10 13 2

WP -- Nikki Peter. LP -- Maggie Smith. HR -- Maggie Shepherd (S) Maggie Urhahn (ND), Carson Freeman (ND). Multiple hits -- Sikeston: Shepherd 2-3; Notre Dame: Christina Scheerer 2-3, Taylor Hess 2-4, Morgan Duschell 2-4, Maddie Urhahn 3-3, Freeman 2-3. Records -- Sikeston 15-13, Notre Dame 20-7.