Cranberry is finding ways to win the close games.

Moniteau is finding ways to lose them.

That trend continued Tuesday afternoon at Pullman Park as the unbeaten Berries (9-0) held on for a 6-5 District 9 baseball victory over the Warriors.

“Our six losses have come by a total of seven runs. This is getting frustrating,” Moniteau coach Ross Martin admitted.

Cranberry has never won a District 9 title in baseball and coach Patrick Irwin isn't convinced this is the year just yet.

“Most of our wins have been by one or two runs,” Irwin said. “We get into dogfights and we've been coming out on the plus side.”

The Berries struck for four runs in the top of the first inning Tuesday, as Evan Fowler, Austin Hanna and Kyle Hanna delivered consecutive run-scoring singles to left. Noah Hastings added his own RBI single to left to cap the frame.

The Warriors (4-6) responded with two runs in the bottom of the frame as Kyle Armagost and Joe Holfelder produced RBI singles.

A walk, passed ball and two errors plated the tying runs for Moniteau in the third inning. The Warriors failed to get a base hit in the frame.

“We were sloppy at times today and we got away with it,” Irwin said.

The eventual game-winning run crossed the plate in the fourth. Ty Rex and Tyler McKinney walked to start the inning and Holfelder struck out the Berries' No. 3 and 4 hitters. But Kyle Hanna followed with a run-scoring single to center.

Rex and McKinney walked three times each and scored four of Cranberry's six runs. Holfelder and Colt Cumblerland — who pitched two innings —walked no one else.

McKinney walked and scored on a two-out single by Austin Hanna in the sixth. The Warriors crept within a run in the bottom of the sixth when Holfelder singled and scored on a wild pitch. Freshman Jake McBride had a key pinch-hit single in the frame.

Fellow freshman Josh McBride began the top of the seventh by backhanding a sharply hit grounder in the hole at shortstop, righting himself and throwing out Hastings.

“That was a great defensive play and gave us momentum going into our turn at-bat,” Martin said.

Armagost beat out an infield hit with one out in the bottom of the seventh and moved to second on an errant pick-off attempt. But Josh McBride and Holfelder both grounded to third to end the game.

Moniteau had five freshmen in its starting lineup.

“Those kids have been playing a lot of ball for us. They're poised and they've been stepping up their game,” Martin said. “We just lacked one or two more clutch hits today.

“Good teams win close games. It's no coincidence Cranberry's been doing that.”

And the Berries got what they expected Tuesday.

“We knew it'd be a tight one,” Irwin said. “Moniteau has some excellent young players and they battle hard throughout. That program is in for a nice run over the next couple of years.”

Cranberry 400 101 0 — 6 10 4Moniteau 202 001 x — 5 6 1W: Dylan Cyphert 4IP (4K, 3BB).

L: Joe Holfelder 5IP (5K, 4BB).

Cranberry (9-0): Ty Rex 2-R, Tyler McKinney 2-R, Evan Fowler 1B RBI, Austin Hanna 2-1B 2-RBI, Kyle Hanna 3-1B 2-RBI, Carter Hastings 1B, Noah Hastings 2-1B RBI, Dylan Cyphert 2B

Moniteau (4-6): Kyle Armagost 2-1B 2-R RBI, Joe Holfelder 2-1B RBI, Jake McBride 1B, Zach Jewart 1B

Thursday: A-C Valley vs. Moniteau, 4:15 p.m., Pullman Park