CHICORA — The Karns City softball team wasted an early opportunity, but Allyson Kepple made sure the Gremlins cashed in on one later.

The senior shortstop delivered a two-out, two-run single in the fourth inning, snapping a 1-1 tie and paving the way for an 8-1 District 9 Class AA playoff win over Cranberry Monday at the Chicora Elementary School field.

Kepple wound up collecting two singles, four RBIand three runs scored.

"This was my best game of the season,"she said. "I didn't get any hits in our last game, so I was anxious to contribute today."

Cranberry starting pitcher Tristin Diebert walked the first three batters she faced, then surrendered an RBIsingle to Brandi Dunkle. Two pop-ups to the pitcher and a grounder back to the mound denied the Gremlins any more than a 1-0 lead, however.

"That's frustrating when that happens,"KCcoach Mike Simpson said. "We had a golden opportunity right off the bat and let it slip through our fingers."

Dunkle pitched a four-hitter for the Gremlins, but ran into trouble in the top of the fourth inning when Cranberry's Sheila Sheatz led off with a single to left and Brooke Brannon doubled over right fielder Stephanie Stoughton's head.

Sheatz scored on the play, but Brannon was thrown out trying to stretch her hit to a triple.

Of Karns City's seven losses this season, six were by a combined total of 10 runs.

"That was on my mind when I watched them tie the game,"Simpson admitted.

But Kepple and her teammates eased his mind moments later.

The Gremlins' Lisa Kaylor walked with one out in the bottom of the fourth and Breanna Bowser singled to left. Both runners moved up on Haley Bachman's groundout.

Kepple singled to center, plating both runners, then moved all the way to third on a throwing error. Sarah Young's single to right hiked the KClead to 4-1.

The Gremlins added on from there. Dunkle walked to open the fifth, moved to second on an infield out, stole third and scored on Samantha Ryan's ground out. Kepple added another two-run single in the seventh and scored on Samantha Bly's single to left.

"We definitely got some timely hits today,"Simpson said. "Allyson knows how to make things happen at the top of the order. That's why she's been our shortstop and leadoff hitter for four years."

Dunkle struck out six and walked one in pitching her second four-hitter against Cranberry this year. She posted a 5-2 win at Cranberry during the regular season.

Cranberry used three pitchers — all underclassmen — in the defeat.

"We graduated some senior pitchers last year and inexperience was our biggest problem this year,"Berries coach Dave Guth said.

Notes:Bowser had two hits for KC. She had two hits in 27 at-bats during the regular season. ... Six Karns City players have at least 10 stolen bases this season. ... Bly leads the Gremlins with a .447 batting average and had two more hits Monday.

Cranberry 000 100 0—1 4 2Karns City 100 313 x—8 9 0W: Brandi Dunkle (7IP, 6 K, 1 BB).

L: Tristin Diebert (3X\c 1 K, 4 BB).

Cranberry (7-10): Sheila Sheatz 1B, Brooke Brannon 2BRBI, Melissa Hickman 2-1B

Karns City (10-7): Allyson Kepple 2-1B4-RBI3-R, Sarah Young 1BRBI, Samantha Bly 2-1B RBI, Brandi Dunkle 1BRBI, Breanna Bowser 2-1B 2-R, Haley Bachman 1B

Wednesday: Karns City at Kane