UNION -- The South Callaway Bulldogs finished the weekend 0-3 in the Bank Classic, falling 8-4 to the Notre Dame: Cape Girardeau Bulldogs in the fifth-place game Saturday at Union High School.
South Callaway (2-4), ranked second in Class 3 by the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association, matched Notre Dame (4-2) with five hits and an error.
After two scoreless innings, the Mokane Bulldogs went ahead 1-0 on Tucker Jones's two-out RBI single to the shortstop in the top of the third. South Callaway increased its lead to 3-0 in the next at-bat, with Ethan Edwards lining a two-RBI triple to right field, the game's only two-plus-base hit.
The Cape Girardeau Bulldogs cut their deficit to one in the bottom of the third. An inning later, Notre Dame took the lead for good at 4-3 on Chase Lawson's RBI groundout to the third baseman.
In the fifth inning, the Cape Girardeau Bulldogs added four runs to their lead before the Mokane Bulldogs pulled one back with their one-run sixth.
The offensive leaders for South Callaway were Jones with two singles, one RBI, and one run and Edwards with a triple and a team-high two RBI. Chase Mealy notched the Mokane Bulldogs' second and final extra-base hit, an RBI double to left field in the sixth inning.
Owen Rees (1-1) dropped to .500 on the year, starting on the bump for South Callaway. He went four innings and struck out four while giving up four runs (three earned) on three hits and walks and hit a batter.
Channing Pattengill guided Notre Dame at the plate, going 2-3 with a double, single, two runs and an RBI. TJ Bolen recorded the Cape Girardeau Bulldogs' first extra-base hit, an RBI two-bagger to left field in the third inning, which plated their first run.
Jack Evans earned the win for Notre Dame. Throwing the first 5⅓ innings, Evans punched out five and allowed three runs on four hits and a walk.
"Their pitcher had a solid stat line against us, and we struggled some with our two-strike approaches at the plate," South Callaway baseball coach Mason Mershon said. "But when we were aggressive, we hit the ball hard, and good things happened. Tucker Jones made some terrific plays up the middle and was a spark for us offensively."
South Callaway opens its final campaign in the Show-Me Conference, hosting Linn (2-3, 1-0 Show-Me) at 5 p.m. Tuesday at South Callaway's baseball field in Mokane. The Wildcats beat Eugene, receiving votes in the Class 2 poll, 5-3 in their Show-Me opener last Saturday in Linn.