Notre Dame to play for Class 3 championship

~ Seniors guide Notre Dame past Harrisonville and into today's Class 3 championship game.

SPRINGFIELD -- Seniors Austin Greer and Dylan Drury combined for five hits, reached base eight times and accounted for three RBIs as Notre Dame beat Harrisonville 5-1 in a Class 3 state baseball semifinal Friday at Meador Park.

"They both had a phenomenal day," Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett said.

Notre Dame (28-1) will play Carl Junction, a 12-4 winner over Fulton, in today's Class 3 championship game. It will be Notre Dame's first championship game since 1999, and the Bulldogs will try for their first championship since 1993.

Greer, the No. 3 hitter, and Drury, the cleanup man, have provided a spark all season. Greer entered the game leading the team with a .506 batting average and Drury was first on the team in home runs with seven.

Notre Dame shortstop Jimmy Obermark throws to first to retire a Harrisonville batter.

"It's definitely a plus when you have two guys that can solidify the middle of your lineup," Graviett said.

Notre Dame entered the third inning with a 1-0 lead, and Greer and Drury helped tack on two more runs to push the lead to 3-0. Greer started the inning with a single then Drury knocked him home with a triple to right field. Drury later scored on a fielder's choice.

Drury, who is second on the team in wins on the mound, says there is less pressure on him to hit when he is not on the mound.

"It's not as much pressure because there are eight other guys in the lineup that can hit," he said.

He will be the starting pitcher in today's title game.

Notre Dame pitcher Colton Young delivers a pitch to a Harrisonville batter during their Class 3 semifinal game Friday at Meador Park in Springfield. (JUSTIN KELLEY ~ Special to the Southeast Missourian)

"We let him get loose in the seventh inning and he looked good," Graviett said.

Greer and Drury weren't the only Notre Dame players producing. Left fielder Jake Pewitt also had a great day at the plate, going 2-for-4 and scoring twice.

"Jake knew if he got on, Dylan and I would take care of the rest," Greer said.

Greer's hit in the third inning tied his uncle, Steve Schott, for the school record with 44 hits in a season. He broke the record in the fourth. Schott's record stood for 26 years before Friday's game.

"It feels pretty good to get it," Greer said. "I'm glad I got it out of the way today so I won't have to worry about it tomorrow."

The heart of every Notre Dame fan appeared to stop in the bottom of the sixth inning when it looked as if the Bulldogs might suffer another sixth-inning meltdown similar to last season. Harrisonville scored a run and loaded the bases with one out.

"When it was in the sixth inning, I was having flashbacks," Greer said, referring to St. Dominic scoring 19 runs on the Bulldogs in the sixth inning in last year's semifinal loss.

But junior pitcher Colton Young settled down to strike out the next two batters to escape the inning without giving up another run.