DISTRICT CHAMPS: ND RIPS CHAFFEE FOR TITLE

CHAFFEE -- Top-seeded Notre Dame jumped to an early lead and was never threatened in a 10-3 win over second-seeded Chaffee in the Class 2A, District 2 final at Harmon Field Thursday.

With the victory, Notre Dame (20-4) advances to the sectional round Thursday against District 1 champion Senath-Hornersville. The game will be played at 4:30 p.m. at Notre Dame H.S.

Notre Dame employed a lethal attack with three home runs and a pair of doubles. Todd Friend ripped two of the Bulldogs' round-trippers and finished with four RBIs.

The Bulldogs' Josh Eftink accounted for the other home run, which staked the Bulldogs to a 2-0 first-inning lead. The blast to center off Chaffee starter Tommy Stidham scored hot-hitting leadoff hitter John O'Rourke, who opened the game with a single.

Eftink, a senior headed for Southeast Missouri State University, deflected any credit for getting the Bulldogs headed in the right direction.

"We really have a bunch of leaders on our team and I'm just there to help out and try to do my share with a hit, like today, and get everybody going," said Eftink.

Chaffee (19-6) came back with one run in the bottom of the inning on a well-hit blast over the center field wall by left fielder G.P. Glueck.

Notre Dame kept the pressure on, scoring five runs in the top of the second. With the bases loaded as a result of a bloop single, a seeing-eye grounder and the first of four errors by the usually solid defense of the Red Devils, Friend singled to right field to score two runs. O'Rourke followed with a a two-run double down the left field line for a 6-1 lead. O'Rourke later scored on the Devils' second error of the inning to push the lead to 7-1.

"I preach pitching and defense to these guys, but the heart of our team is offense," said Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett. "We want to come out and hit the ball hard."

Three of Notre Dame's players accounted for nine of the team's 13 hits.

O'Rourke led the way with a 4-for-5 performance with two RBIs and three runs scored.

Since moving to the leadoff spot in the batting order about a month ago O'Rourke has been the catalyst for his team.

"(Batting leadoff) just makes me want to get a bat on the ball and put it in play and make things happen," said O'Rourke.

Friend finished with three hits and Eftink went 2-for-2.

The Bulldogs' hot bats handed Stidham (8-2), the Red Devil ace, just his second loss of the year.

Stidham worked into the fourth inning, but was chased by a one-out solo home run by Friend that made the score 8-1. Stidham allowed seven hits, struck out one and walked no one. He gave way to Matt Stroup, who pitched the final 2 2/3 innings. Stroup had pitched the Red Devils into the final on Tuesday with a shutout of Woodland.

The 8-1 deficit loomed especially large for Chaffee, known more for pitching and defense rather than offense.

The Red Devils mustered eight hits, seven going for singles.

Notre Dame starter Mark Ostendorf (8-1) went 4 1/3 before running into trouble in the fifth when he gave up two consecutive singles to Chaffee's Jeremy Lynn and Stidham. Next hitter Perry Rice singled sharply to right field to drive home Lynn and force Notre Dame coach Graviett to make a pitching change. Eftink entered the game in relief and shut down the Red Devils the rest of the way on two hits and no runs. He struck out four and walked none.

Stidham finished with two hits for Chaffee.