Young ignores pain, painful memories

~ Notre Dame starter pitches out of sixth-inning jam.

SPRINGFIELD -- Notre Dame starting pitcher Colton Young's arm started to hurt after the fourth inning Friday during the Class 3 state baseball semifinal game against Harrisonville.

During the sixth inning, the right-hander visibly was tiring as he surrendered a single and RBI double to begin the frame and walked two batters to load the bases with just one out.

The RBI double cut Notre Dame's lead to 4-1, and the runner at first base after the two walks represented the tying run.

Young not only was feeling pain in his throwing arm, but he also was haunted by memories of the 2008 Class 3 semifinal game against St. Dominic, when Notre Dame took a two-run lead into the sixth, but the Crusaders scored 19 runs that frame to take a 25-8 lead. Eight of those runs came against Young.

"When [Harrisonville] got bases loaded with one out, I was definitely thinking about it," Young said about the 2008 sixth-inning debacle that sent Notre Dame to play for third place. "But I was just trying to throw strikes and have my defense do the work behind me."

Young was able to pitch his way out of the sixth-inning jam against Harrisonville without needing the help of his defense. The right-hander struck out the Nos. 8 and 9 hitters -- Taylor Saunders and Garrett Kliewer -- to escape with the three-run lead.

The Notre Dame offense tagged on a run in the top of the seventh, and Young tossed a scoreless bottom half as the Bulldogs won 5-1 at Meador Park to advance to today's Class 3 championship game against Carl Junction.

"Early on it felt good," Young said about his throwing arm. "Until about the fourth inning. And then after that, it started hurting. It hurts right now real bad."

Young gave up seven hits and one earned run while striking out nine and walking three.

"He came out feeling good and you could tell late in the innings that he was kind of having trouble with his control and that he was kind of hurting, but Colton always comes out and throws good," catcher Mark Hagedorn said. "He's a competitor."

Young pitched out of two other crucial jams early in the game.

Harrisonville had two runners in scoring position with two outs and No. 3 hitter Derek Haug at the plate in the third. Young, however, retired him on a fly out to right field.

Young allowed singles to the first two batters in the fourth, but escaped without allowing a run when he got the Nos. 6 and 7 hitters on infield pop ups then struck out Saunders.

Young has felt some pain since pitching the district championship game.

"Being in this situation and being at state and having a close game like this, I didn't want to come out," Young said. "I just had confidence in myself that I could go out and finish the game. ... My changeup was actually working today, so I threw that quite a bit."

Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett certainly is pleased that Young, his ace, tossed a complete game, leaving No. 2 pitcher Dylan Drury fully rested to start the title game.

Graviett said Drury was his first option had Young needed to be relieved.

"You don't want to burn another pitcher if you don't have to," Graviett said. "It [Young[']s complete game] frees up everybody. Probably the only one who won't throw tomorrow will be Colton. That gives us a lot of options. Hopefully, Dylan will be on."