Once the nerves left, the runs arrived — and Moniteau cruised to a 7-2 baseball victory over Johnsonburg Saturday at Michelle Krill Field at Historic Pullman Park.

Tyler McFadden led off the Warriors' second with an infield single and Lee DeMatteis reached on a bunt single. The next three Moniteau hitters struck out, however, as the game remained scoreless.

“We have some new guys in the lineup this season and this was their first game at Pullman Park,” center fielder Chance Nagy noted. “We had to get the nerves out a little bit.

“Once we settled down, we started hitting the ball a lot better.”

Johnsonburg sophomore left-hander Gabe Watts struck out four in his first two innings of work. But he never got out of the third.

Two walks to begin the inning were followed by Gage Neal's run-scoring single to left, snapping the scoreless tie. Jared Lominski added a RBI single, McFadden a sacrifice fly.

A two-run single by Mason Mershimer and run-scoring single by Nagy capped a six-run inning. Watts was removed from the mound following a one-out walk to DeMatteis in the frame.

“He (Watts) was starting everyone out with a fastball, pretty much down the middle,” Moniteau pitcher Hunter Fitzingo said. “We got more aggressive at the plate and began jumping on those pitches.”

Fitzingo worked five innings, striking out nine and walking none. He threw 82 pitches, 58 for strikes.

Johnsonburg (1-1) got to Fitzingo for two runs in the fourth, then loaded the bases with one out in the fifth, but the right-hander struck out the final two hitters of the frame.

Neal pitched the final two innings for the Warriors (2-2), striking out four. The Rams' Dalton Stahli reached on an infield error to open the sixth. Paul Gresco walked and Johnsonburg executed a double steal.

But Neal fanned Wade Steis, Matt Dush and Ethan Wells to escape any damage.

“Coach (Ross Martin) told me I'd be the first guy (on the mound) after Hunter today,” Neal said. “I figured I'd get into the game late. I was ready.”

Johnsonburg won the PIAA Class A championship in 2014 and has a highly reputable baseball program.

Ram hitters struck out 13 times Saturday, however, 12 times with runners in scoring position.

“I told the guys after the game ... That has to stop,” Johnsonburg coach Ryan LaBenne said. “We were looking at called third strikes with runners on base. That can't happen anymore.

“A lot of the credit goes to their pitcher, though. We knew (Fitzingo) was good. He changed speeds well, never really followed a particular pattern ... He had our hitters all messed up.”

Austin Green had four of the Rams' seven hits, including a double. He has six hits in his first seven at bats this season. Zack Zameroski's RBI double and a Stahli sacrifice fly produced the Johnsonburg runs in the fourth.

Fitzingo and Neal had back-to-back doubles to plate a Moniteau run in the sixth. Neal had two RBI in the contest.

Johnsonburg 000 200 0 — 2 7 0

Moniteau 006 001 x — 7 9 3

W: Hunter Fitzingo 5IP (9K, 0BB). L: Gabe Watts 2.1IP (4K, 4BB).

Johnsonburg (1-1): Ethan Wells 1B, Austin Green 2B 3-1B, Zack Zameroski 2B RBI, Gavin Elmquist 1B, Dalton Stahli RBI,

Moniteau (2-2): Chance Nagy 1B RBI, Hunter Fitzingo 2B 2-R, Gage Neal 1B 2B 2-RBI, Jared Lominski 1B RBI, Tyler McFadden 1B RBI, Lee DeMatteis 2-1B, Mason Mershimer 1B 2-RBI

Monday: Moniteau at Union