BELLE VERNON - Mark Winkler made his first-ever playoff appearance on the mound Tuesday for South Park - and he made the most of it.

The senior left-hander narrowly missed a no-hitter, struck out eight and handed the Eagles a 10-0 WPIAL Class AAA baseball playoff win over Knoch at Cedar Creek Park.

"He did a great job for them. … We never got anything going," Knoch coach Curt Schnur said.

The Knights managed only two hits in seeing their three-game winning streak come to an end. Erik Christiansen led off the second inning by hitting a towering pop fly to second that second baseman Donnie Remlinger lost in the sun and allowed to land for a single.

Bobby Kruth led off Knoch's sixth with an infield single.

"Mark had a nice curve he was throwing for strikes and they couldn't get into any kind of rhythm at the plate," South Park coach Steve Bucci said.

"We got some two-out hits early and that set the tone. Knoch didn't want to get behind by too many. They needed a low-scoring game."

Knoch entered the game averaging 3.6 runs per contest this season. South Park is averaging 10.9.

Kruth walked and stole second to begin the game for the Knights, but he was stranded there.

With one out in South Park's first inning, Brandon Doughty singled and stole second. Adam Gill blooped a two-out single to left to plate the game's first run.

"It was a low pitch that he went down and got, and hit a Texas Leaguer that fell in," Schnur said. "That's what can happen when you put the bat on the ball.

"They put the ball in play and it paid off for them."

The Eagles scored three times in the second with two outs and no one on base. Knoch pitcher John Lefevre walked No. 8 batter Craig Price and No. 9 hitter Kyle Lucot singled to center.

Zach Jones hit an opposite-field triple down the right field line. Jones scored when the Knights botched a force play at second two batters later.

Lefevre cruised through the third and fourth innings - throwing just 15 pitches - but he ran into trouble in the fifth.

Tyler Scruggs, South Park's catcher and grandson of former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher and broadcaster Jim Rooker, belted a two-run homer to left. It was the fourth homer of the year for the junior who entered the game batting .500 (31-for-62) on the year.

Craig Price added a two-run single and Lucot a run-scoring single later in the frame as South Park increased its lead to 9-0.

The Eagles ended the game via the mercy rule when Brandon Doughty homered to right to lead off South Park's sixth inning.

Lefevre threw 91 pitches and struck out three in taking the loss. He had seven of the Knights' 11 wins this season.

"That kid had a great year for us," Schnur said. "He threw half our innings and they were quality innings. I'm proud of these guys. They overachieved this year."

Knoch 000 000 x - 0 2 1South Park 130 051 x -10 11 2WP: Mark Winkler (6 IP) 8 strikeouts, 3 walks.

LP: John Lefevre (5 IP) 3 strikeouts, 3 walks

Knoch (11-10): Bobby Kruth 1B, Erik Christiansen 1B

South Park (17-4): Zach Jones 3B 2-RBI, Brandon Doughty HR 1B RBI, Tyler Skruggs HR 2-RBI, Adam Gill 2-1B RBI, Ryan Streno 2-1B, Craig Price 1B 2-RBI, Kule Lucot 2-1B RBI