ND REBOUNDS FOR THIRD PLACE

COLUMBIA -- It wasn't exactly what Notre Dame had hoped for, but the Bulldogs' super class of seniors ended their careers with a win.

Notre Dame knocked off Forsyth 6-4 Thursday to take third place in the Class 2A baseball championships held at Simmons Field.

"Only eight teams in the state get to end their seasons with a win and we're one of those teams," said Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett, who saw his team finish the season with a 23-5 record. "These seniors can always say they won their last game in high school."

Two Bulldog seniors who were the heart of a team which made back-to-back final appearances both homered in their final high school game.

Senior catcher Scott Reinagel, a defensive phenom who wants to walk on at the University of Missouri, proved he could leave the spacious field, ripping a pitch over the wall in right field. It was Reinagel's second home run of the season. Both of them came in the postseason.

"It's always nice to win," said Reinagel. "But when it's your last game it makes it nice because you get to go home happy."

Eftink, who is Notre Dame's career home run king, also homered, hooking a line drive around the left-field foul pole.

Eftink also pitched a complete game.

"It was great to end the season with a win with all the players I've played my whole career with," said Eftink, who finished the season with 11 homers -- tops in the area -- and 37 for his career.

"Josh was the man again today," said Graviett. "On the mound and at the plate. He threw the ball real well and that's what we needed from him."

Eftink was handed a 6-0 lead after the Bulldogs put up three runs in the first, one in the third and two in the fourth.

But Forsyth (23-7) scored four runs in the sixth on four hits and an error. Two of the runs were unearned.

"He threw really well," said Reinagel of Eftink. "He got the ball up some in the sixth but he came back in the seventh and threw really well again."

"We had the lead the whole game so I just had to go in and throw strikes," said Eftink. "I think I only walked one guy but I just threw it over the plate and in the one inning they just found some holes and scored some runs."

Eftink allowed just six hits after facing one over the minimum through the first five innings. He fanned nine.

Notre Dame set the tone in the first inning with three runs.

John O'Rourke reached on an error and Eftink later reached on a fielder's choice.

O'Rourke scored on an RBI groundout by Tommy Wencewicz and Eftink scored on a wild pitch before Reinagel's blast put Notre Dame up 3-0.

Eftink led off the third with his homer. In the fourth, Matt Bollinger and Adam Seyer drew consecutive walks and later scored on a single by Todd Friend and a sacrifice fly by O'Rourke.

Notre Dame ended up with eight hits, two by Eftink.

Forsyth had six different players with hits.