Sikeston blanked by ND
CAPE GIRARDEAU - For the second time in two weeks, the Sikeston Bulldogs lost a close game to district foe Notre Dame, this time falling 3-0 on Tuesday at Notre Dame High School.
The Bulldog bats were silenced to zero runs for the first time all season and it's believed to be the first time the Bulldogs have been shutout since Kevin Self took over the head coaching position in 1997.
The Bulldogs (15-5, 6-2 SEMO Conference) managed just two hits --
a season-low -- and just four base runners total.
This coming after the team had back-to-back huge offensive games, with 19 against Kelly and 12 against Class 2 top-ranked Clearwater.
"I don't remember the last time we've been shut out," said Self. "As a matter of fact, that may be a first since I've been here. What I don't understand is that this bunch just beat us and to come out and get shutout today after losing to them last Monday --
I don't know. Who knows?
"Whatever it is, maybe it'll get changed by district time. But really the big game is next week. It's hard to play them as many times as we play them and try to not show them everything you've got. But when you don't score runs you're not going to beat anybody."
Sikeston, which beat Notre Dame 7-2 earlier in the season, lost to their private school counterparts last Monday in the championship game of the SEMO Conference Tournament 5-3.
On Tuesday, Notre Dame right-handed hurler Kirk Boeller pitched the shutout, allowing four hits and no walks with a hit batter. He struck out just three, but the Notre Dame defense was solid except for one error.
And even the error was erased on a double play.
"Them turning that double play changed the whole complexion of the game in the sixth," said Self. "I rolled the dice and I didn't want to bunt. I felt like we couldn't give up an out when we were down two runs."
Notre Dame (14-7, 5-3 SEMO Conference) jumped ahead in the bottom of the first on an RBI-single by Shane Menz.
The Bulldogs extended it to 2-0 on a solo home run to left field by Derek Ressel.
Meanwhile, Boeller had a perfect game going until Cullen DeHart ripped a two-out double to right centerfield, but he was stranded after Boeller got a strikeout to end the inning.
"When he's on he's going to get a lot of groundballs and that's what he had today," said Notre Dame coach Jeff Graviett of Boeller. "He's got tremendous movement and some sinker action and he had it going today. I think Cullen was really about the only guy to get it in the air with any lift on it. That's why I wanted to run him out here today, to see how he fits into our staff. With what he showed, we can stick him anywhere."
Notre Dame tacked on one final run in the bottom of the sixth on a run-
scoring single by Jordan Buchheit to plate Menz.
"I thought both teams hit the ball harder than what we both showed in total hits," said Graviett. "There were a lot of balls right at people and a lot of good plays today. It was a quick ballgame. There was a big zone behind the plate and both pitchers were hitting it with strikes."
J.R. Bizzell had Sikeston's only other hit --
that being an infield single.
"We were just snake-bit -- anything we hit hard was right at them," said Self. "It started when Bizzell hit the first one and the third baseman was right where he needed to be. And it went like that the rest of the way. In the past everything has been going our way, but today it all went their way."
Sikeston pitcher Jerod Scott was the hard-luck loser as he allowed just four hits in six innings. He struck out six and walked two.
Sikeston will play at New Madrid County Central today at 4 p.m. in a SEMO Conference matchup.
Sikeston is seeded first in the upcoming district tournament with Notre Dame seeded third. Dexter got the No. 2 seed.
Two days after winning the SEMO Conference Junior Varsity Tournament on Saturday, Sikeston won a slugfest with Notre Dame on Tuesday, 11-10.
Scott Droddy was the winning pitcher in all seven innings, allowing 14 hits and one walk with five strikeouts.
Austin Williams, Droddy, Freddy Gilliland and Josh Pierce each had two hits. Tyler Ramey, Dustin Barker, Nick Lambert and Chase Ferrell each had one hit. Pierce led the way with two RBIs while Gilliland, Ramey, Barker, Lambert and Ferrell each had one RBI.
In the tournament, Sikeston (12-2) beat Poplar Bluff in the semifinals 9-8 as Droddy was the winning pitcher.
Ferrell had three hits and three RBIs while Williams had four hits and one RBI. Others were Cody Anderson (2-5, RBI), Gilliland (2-5) and Barker (1-5).
In the championship game, Sikeston beat Notre Dame 4-0 with Garrett Limbaugh getting the complete game shutout.
Pierce had two hits and an RBI while Droddy had one hit and two RBIs. Anderson, Lambert and Barker each had one hit while Ferrell had an RBI.