Tyler Yough did his part. And when called upon, Karns City's defense did the same.

The two combined for a 5-4 baseball victory over Moniteau under a steady stream of snow flurries Monday at Kelly Automotive Park.

The game was Karns City's first of the season.

Yough, a junior right-hander, threw 54 pitches in the first five innings — 40 of them for strikes. The Gremlins had a 3-2 lead through five and extended that margin to three on Cameron Blair's two-run single in the top of the sixth.

“We emphasize to our pitchers, pound the zone,” KC coach Josh Smith said. “This is a sport in which the best hitters in the world fail seven out of every 10 times.

“Make them hit the ball. And on a cold day like this, the defense appreciates it.”

Yough did not throw more than 16 pitches in an inning until the bottom of the sixth. He threw 27 in that frame as Moniteau (1-3) fough back. Nick Sosigian doubled to deep center and scored on an infield error. Wyatt Geibel singled to center and wound up scoring on Chance Nagy's ground out.

Though the Gremlins' lead was shaved to a single run, Yough wasn't leaving the mound.

“The only way I'd have pulled him was on pitch count,” Smith said. “And he was in good shape that way. That kid battles. I was gonna let him battle his way through to the end.”

With one out in the seventh, Yough walked Jared Lominski. While Lominski tried stealing second, Yough's pitch sailed high and inside. Catcher Jake Weckerly handled it and threw a strike to second baseman Steve O'Donnell.

O'Donnell dug the throw out of the turf and tagged Lominski out. Yough then induced Sosigian to fly out to left field to end the game.

“That was a big play for our team,” Yough said of the caught stealing. “Great throw by Jake and Steve dug it out ... big play. That helped out a lot.”

So did Yough's curve ball, which had Moniteau huitters off balance much of the day.

“I've been using it a lot more,” Yough said. “My big thing is throwing strikes and letting the defense work for me,. I was catching the corner with (the curve) today.”

Yough wound up throwing 94 pitches, 40 in the final two innings.

Losing pitcher Hunter Fitzingo threw 98 pitches in five innings for Moniteau. The Warrior right-hander escaped major scoring threats twice. The Gremlins loaded the bases with none out in the top of the first, then Fitzingo struck out the side.

Nolan Riley tripled to deep center to lead off the KC fifth. Yough bounced out to third with the infield in, Weckerley walked and Fitzingo got O'Donnell to ground into a double play.

“I was too nervous at the start of this game, too amped up,” Fitzingo said. “We were playing a rival, I didn't get a couple of calls early and let my emotions get the best of me.”

But he did pitch out of trouble and gave his team a chance — much to Smith's chagrin.

“We didn't hit all that well today,” Smith said. “This was our first game, first time hitting outside and it showed.

“We did a lot of work in the gym, got on the football field when we could ... We'll hit better as time goes on.”

Fitzingo is confident Moniteau will get better as well.

“I like our team,” he said. “We have a lot of guys back and we're a lot more confident this year.”

Karns City 003 002 0 — 5 7 1

Moniteau 011 002 0 — 4 7 2

W: Tyler Yough 7IP (5K, 2BB). L: Hunter Fitzingo 5IP (8K, 4BB).

Karns City (1-0): Colton Hutchison 2-1B, Nolan Riley 3B 1B, Steve O'Donnell 1B RBI, Brandon Hesidence 1B, Cameron Blair 1B 2-RBI

Moniteau (1-3): Jared Lominski 1B, Nick Sosigian 2B RBI, Wyatt Geibel 2-1B 2-R, Hunter Fitzingo RBI, Nathan Sosigian 1B, Gage Neal 1B RBI, Chance Nagy 1B RBI

Wednesday: A-C Valley vs. Ksrmns City, 6 p.m., Kelly Automotive Park; Moniteau at Redbank Valley