Notre Dame settles for second again

Notre Dame's softball team earned its first berth in the Jackson Invitational softball tournament Saturday at the Shawnee Park Sports Complex.

The Bulldogs could not make their first trip to the finals a successful one, though, falling to Seckman 4-2.

"Really our first goal coming into this was getting into the championship," Bulldogs coach Jeff Graviett said. "We'd never done that as a program. This is a big tournament.

"Our two losses are to Class 4 schools. Our goal right now is to not lose to a Class 3 school."

Seckman (15-5) entered the finals with a head full of steam, having outscored its first three opponents 35-0. The Jaguars were coming off a runner-up finish at their own tournament last weekend.

Meanwhile, Notre Dame (19-2) beat area rival Kelly 9-5 in the semifinals, the second weekend in a row the Bulldogs defeated Kelly in a semifinal game. Notre Dame finished second at the Incarnate Word Tournament last weekend.

After surrendering its first run of the tournament in the top half of the inning, Seckman looked like it would go down in order after its first two hitters were retired in order.

Kelsey Biggs got things started with a two-out double. Holly Adams followed with a slow roller which had enough spin to sneak by Miranda Schlosser, and ended up an infield single. Brittany Smith followed with a two-run double through the right-side of the infield, and Jennifer Doyle chopped a grounder over the third baseman's head for another run.

Notre Dame scrapped back with an RBI single from Allison Peters in the fourth. The Bulldogs then had second-and-third with one out in the fifth but could not cash in. Cortney Ostendorf hit a rocket to the second baseman to end the threat.

Down 4-2 in the seventh, the Bulldogs made one last charge. Leadoff hitter Paris Burger reached on an error with one out, and Erika Reinagel followed with a walk. The runners moved up on a wild pitch to push the tying run into scoring position for Notre Dame's top hitter, Kristain Burger.

Kristain Burger hit a hard grounder up the middle, but the shortstop fielded it and was able to just get Paris Burger at the plate. Schlosser grounded out to second to end the game.

Schlosser (9-2) took the loss for the Bulldogs, allowing nine hits, two walks and striking out two.

Notre Dame's other senior hurler, returning all-state pitcher Beth Schnurbusch, alternated games with Schlosser on Saturday to move her pitching mark to 10-0.

SECKMAN 4, NOTRE DAME 2

Notre Dame 100 100 0 -- 2 5 0

Seckman 300 010 X -- 4 9 1

WP -- Holly Brown. LP -- Miranda Schlosser, 9-2. 2B -- Kelsey Biggs (S), Brittany Smith (S), Paris Burger (N). Multiple hits -- Seckman, Erin Niewald 2-2; Biggs 2-3; Holly Adams 2-3; Jennifer Doyle 2-3. Records -- Notre Dame 19-2, Seckman 15-5.

Other area results

Kelly settled for third place with a 3-2 win over Sullivan.

The host Indians (10-9) also finished 3-1. Jackson snuck by Farmington in the opening round 3-2 on a game-winning home run by Maggie Baugh, but fell in the quarterfinals 7-4. The Indians then bounced back with an 11-1 win over Fox, and then snuck past Poplar Bluff 7-6.

Central battled its way into the consolation championship but fell to Cor Jesu 4-3.

Perryville finished 1-3.