SLIPPERY ROCK - Karns City coach Dave McElroy saw his team have another pitcher on the ropes in its game against Moniteau Thursday.

The Gremlins scored a pair of runs in the first inning off Nathan Markle with one out, but left the bases loaded.

Markle settled down and kept the Warriors in the game, but a two-out, two-run single by the Gremlins' Josh Behrens in the third inning helped Karns City post a 4-1 victory at Slippery Rock University's Jack Critchfield Park.

"I told them I didn't like that we had the bases loaded, then strike out two straight times after that," McElroy said. "You just can't do that.

"If you go to the playoffs, you just can't," he added.

McElroy had seen his team strand 19 baserunners in a 7-6 victory over Clarion Monday.

"Luckily, we played good defense that night," he added.

With one out in the first, Karns City's David Black lined a single, but errors by the Warriors on the next two batters allowed one run to score. Mike Stimac singled to load the bases, then Scott Jordan walked to bring home the second run.

Markle fanned Ryan Earley and Behrens to end the threat.

Markle finished the game with 11 strikeouts, two walks and scattered nine hits.

His counterpart on the mound, Jordan, limited the Warriors to three hits, two of which came in the bottom of the first inning to cut the Gremlins lead in half.

Moniteau's Travis Shaffer led off with a single, then Garth Kohlmeyer's grounder to Mike Stimac was thrown away from first base. Shaffer advanced to third but Kohlmeyer was thrown out at second base,

Markle then lined an RBI single before Jordan induced Clay Kohlmeyer to strike out and Cory Campbell to ground out.

"We hit the ball well against Jordan, as good as you can hit against a pitcher like him." said Moniteau coach Arnie Trufley. "We held our own against him."

In the third inning, Behrens lined a two-out single, driving home David Slagle and Jordan for a 4-1 lead, which would hold up the rest of the game.

"You can do just as much damage with two outs as you can with no outs," said McElroy. "I tell the kids not to give up with two outs. It can all adds up."

Moniteau had its best chance to pull closer in the fifth inning when, with one out, Matt Vinca walked and Dustin Berry singled. Jordan, however, struck out Shaffer and Garth Kohlmeyer flied out to deep center field to end the threat.

"There was not a big margin for error," McElroy said. "Scotty pitched well. He threw strikes."

"Nathan is a remarkable pitcher and he's just a junior," said Trufley. "Playing in this park was nice. The kids are always pumped up to play Karns City. The kids weren't nervous, just excited."

And playing on the Slippery Rock University field is something that McElroy hopes will be beneficial down the road.

"This could be to our advantage if we play here in the playoffs," said McElroy.

"It was nice to get the nerves out, to play on the field and see it's the same distance between the bases and the same distance between home plate and the pitcher's mound."

Karns City 202 000 0 - 4 9 2

Moniteau 100 000 0 - 1 3 3

WP:

Scott Jordan (7 IP) 8 strikeouts, 3 walks.

LP:

Nathan Markle (7 IP) 11 strikeouts, 2 walks

Karns City (14-0, 13-0):

David Black 2-1B, R; Josh Smith 2-1B, R; David Slagle 2-1B, R; Mike Stimac 1B; Scott Jordan 2-BB, RBI, R; Josh Behrens 2-1B, 2 RBI

Moniteau (6-10, 6-8):

Travis Shaffer 1B, R; Nathan Markle 1B, RBI; Dustin Berry 1B

Monday:

Karns City at Clarion-Limestone; Union at Moniteau