The Knoch baseball team didn't come away with a win on Thursday, but the result didn't bother coach George Bradley.

Despite a 4-2 loss to Kiski Area at Pullman Park, Bradley was delighted to see the Knights improve their quality of play.

Knoch (0-3) suffered 16 errors and lost by a combined 17 runs in its first two games, but committed just one fielding miscue Thursday and had a chance to tie in the bottom of the seventh.

“We're very happy,” said Bradley. “We finally played baseball.

“That's a good team,” he said of Kiski Area (2-1). “It's a Quad-A team and they're picked to win their section. We battled them right to the end.”

Trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Ed Stockert sparked the Knights with a one-out single and Hunter Balliet followed with his third hit of the game.

The runners moved to second and third with one out, but Kiski Area's Levi Naughton struck out Gavin Miller and induced a groundout to second from Justin Grossman to escape with the victory.

“We're playing a bunch of young guys and they just battled,” said Kiski Area coach Darryl Hixenbaugh. “I was proud of the way they played.”

Justin Stascak picked up the win on the mound for the Cavaliers. He pitched the first five innings, giving up three hits, two runs — one earned — and threw 75 pitches. The junior struck out three and walked three.

Naughton recorded the save with two strikeouts and no walks over the final two frames.

“Our pitching is going to be strong and all of them are young,” said Hixenbaugh. “They're going to be pretty good.

“If Stascak gets a little more velocity, he could be a Division I pitcher,” he added.

Grossman started on the hill for Knoch and delivered five quality innings. He fanned five and walked one while allowing five hits, four runs — three earned — on 75 pitches.

Miller took over in the sixth and struck out three over two innings.

“I was very, very happy with both pitchers, Justin and Gavin,” said Bradley. “They threw strikes.”

The Cavaliers took an early 2-0 edge in the top of the first when Joey Brungo scored on a wild pitch and Troy Glendenning crossed the plate on an RBI single from Brandon Smail.

The Knights struck back in the bottom half of the frame without the benefit of a hit. Grossman drew a leadoff walk, advanced to third when a pickoff throw went awry and scored on a wild pitch.

Glendenning gave Kiski Area a 3-1 advantage with a towering solo home run over the wall in left-center field with two outs in the top of the third.

“The big horse hit one a country mile today,” said Hixenbaugh with a chuckle.

“The home run, that was my bad,” admitted Bradley. “I said, ‘Throw the fastball. The only way he can hurt us is with a home run.'

“He throws him a fastball and he hits the home run.”

The Cavaliers took a 4-1 lead in the top of the fifth on Knoch's lone error of the game. Grossman had Ryan Sciullo picked off at first base, but the throw wasn't handled and squirted away into no-man's land. Sciullo came all the way around to score.

Balliet and Ty Smith responded with back-to-back doubles for the Knights in the bottom of the fifth to cap the scoring.

“We start on Monday in our section,” said Bradley. “If we can play as well (Friday) as we did today, I'll feel confident going into section and that's all a coach can ask for.”

Kiski Area 201 010 0 — 4 6 1Knoch 100 010 0 — 2 5 1W: Justin Stascak 5IP (3K, 3BB).

L: Justin Grossman 5IP (5K, 1BB).

S: Levi Naughton 2IP (2K, 0BB).

Kiski Area: Ryan Sciullo 1B R, Joey Brungo 1B R, Troy Glendenning HR RBI 2-R, Brandon Smail 1B RBI, Doug Donatelli 2B, Cameron Smail 1B.

Knoch: Justin Grossman R, Ed Stockert 1B, Hunter Balliet 2B 2-1B R, Ty Smith 2B RBI.

Today: Knoch at Ford City, 3:45 p.m.