CHERRY TWP — Cortney Claypoole had one thought as she rounded the bases.

This one's for pap.

Claypoole, a junior shortstop for the Moniteau softball team, hit a line-drive home run to dead center at Moniteau High School on a frigid Tuesday afternoon as the Warriors downed rival Karns City 10-0 in six innings.

It was the first time Claypoole got to trot around the bases for a home run. She usually has to run at breakneck speed around the bases for her round-trippers.

“It was amazing. I lost my (grandfather, Harold Tenney) in February, so every hit, every play is for him,” said a choked-up Claypoole. “I pray to him before every at-bat.”

As she jogged around the bases, she said to herself, “thank you, pap.”

“It makes it a little more meaningful,” Claypoole said.

Claypoole's home run got Moniteau quickly on its way.

“Cortney getting that home run in the first inning — that first run is always the hardest to get — and her hitting that home run in the first inning was uplifting on a cold day,” said Moniteau coach Dan Beebe.

The Warriors added two more runs on a two-run double by Sara Hull in the frame and tacked on two runs in each of the second and third innings to take a commanding 7-0 lead after three.

That was plenty of run support for Moniteau pitcher Kennedy DeMatteis, who struck out 10, walked two and gave up five hits in six innings of work.

She got out of a jam in the first inning when the first two Karns City batters, Alyssa Stitt and LeeAnn Gibson, reached on infield singles and then a walk loaded the bases with one out. DeMatteis got a pair of strikeouts to end that threat.

She was also 3-for-3 at the plate with a triple and an RBI.

“Kennedy pitched a great game,” Beebe said. “The last two years she's been a huge reason for our success with two league MVPs. Personally, I think she's gotten even better than the last two years. She hasn't peaked yet.”

Moniteau is trying to peak come PIAA playoff time this year after running roughshod through its competition during the regular season and district playoffs the last two seasons and then running into a roadblock in the state playoffs.

The Warriors lost in the first round of the PIAA playoffs the last two seasons.

There are indications, though, that this year may be different. In Myrtle Beach last week, Moniteau scrimmaged last year's PIAA Class AA runner-up, Deer Lakes, and beat the Lancers 10-1.

“I think the last couple of years — I don't want to say we were too cocky, but I don't think we realized how hard it really was going to be,” Claypoole said.

“(Playing Deer Lakes) was a status test for us,” said senior center fielder Gabby Stewart. “It kind of made us realize we are that good and that the more we push ourselves it can carry us to the state championship. It was almost like we had something to prove.”

“Now we know what we're getting into,” Claypoole added. “When we beat Deer Lakes, I think we know we can do it.”

Even if few outside — or even inside — Moniteau High School think they can.

That has put a definite chip on the Warriors' collective shoulders and a feeling they are the underdog, even though their record since the beginning of the 2014 season is 44-3.

“Even people around here, in our school district, I don't think give us the respect we deserve,” Claypoole said. “That's what we're working on: earning that respect. I think this season's really going to prove it.”

Karns City (1-2) respected Moniteau's hitters by playing an extreme infield shift.

Stitt, the Gremlins' second baseman, spent the entire game playing between second base and third base with shortstop Ashley Coon playing in front of the second base bag or just on the third-base side of it.

The alignment actually produced four outs behind Karns City pitcher Mackenzie Shay, who doesn't throw hard, but predominantly throws strikes.

“We're probably going to do that a lot this season, depending on the teams we play and who we're pitching,” said Karns City coach Jim Gibson. “It puts a little different thought in the batter's head. When they pull the ball, there's three fielders over there instead of two.”

The Gremlins are an extremely young team and that inexperience showed at times in the loss to Moniteau.

Karns City used 14 players Tuesday.

“I'm not sure how many freshmen we have, but we have a pile of them,” Gibson said. “We're just trying to get them to grow up.”

Karns City 000 000 x — 0 5 4

Moniteau 322 021 x — 10 9 0

2 out when mercy run scored

W: Kennedy DeMatteis 6IP (10K, 2BB). L: Mackenzie Shay 5.2IP (2K, 5BB).

Karns City (1-2): Alyssa Stitt 1B, LeeAnn Gibson 1B, Ashley Coon 1B, Victoria Roudebush 1B, Emily Wolfe 1B

Moniteau (4-0): Gabby Stewart 2B 3-RBI, Cortney Claypoole HR RBI, Kennedy DeMatteis 2-1B 3B RBI, Kristina DeMatteis 1B RBI, Sara Hull 2B 2-RBI, Alyssa Dailey 1B RBI, Alazia Greaves 1B

Thursday: A-C Valley at Karns City; Moniteau at Redbank Valley