SENECA, Venango County - The bottom of the sixth inning began with the Karns City softball team needing just six outs to advance in the District 9 playoffs.

It turned into a nightmare that ended the Gremlins' season.

Leading host Cranberry 11-5, the Gremlins surrendered seven runs on just one hit in the inning as the Berries pulled out a 12-11 victory in a Class AA first-round affair Tuesday.

"We told our players not to swing until a strike was called," said Cranberry coach Larry Sherman of his strategy in the sixth inning. "They were too aggressive in the early part of the game, swinging at a lot of bad pitches. So, we basically took the bats out of our players' hands."

But it worked.

Karns City starting pitcher Ashton Pakutz was unable to record an out after facing five batters, and the freshman left the game with the bases loaded in favor of senior Roslyn Ferraro.

At that point, the Gremlins still led 11-7, but two wild pitches, a bloop single, a hit-batsman and two fielder's choices later, the Gremlins were on the short end of the 12-11 score.

The Berries' Kailyn Eakin scored the deciding run from third base on a wild pitch with two outs.

The three fielding errors in the sixth inning gave the Gremlins seven for the game.

Karns City managed to get the tying run on second base in the top of the seventh, but Cranberry's Rhea Miller struck out Haley Callihan to end the game.

"It was just a complete collapse," said Karns City coach Mike Simpson. "We've been hurt by the one bad inning in a lot of games this season."

Miller, who entered the game in the top of the sixth with KC leading 9-5, was the beneficiary of the Gremlins' collapse as she picked up the victory.

"She's just a sophomore," said Sherman. "But she is the hardest thrower we've got. She really began to settle down after the first few batters she faced."

The Berries' comeback spoiled a great offensive day for Karns City.

The Gremlins tallied 15 hits, with Pakutz and Shannon Christie each collecting three of them.

Ferraro drove in four runs while Callihan singled, tripled, drove in one and scored two.

All of this in a rematch of an 11-0 Cranberry win April 21.

"I knew that it was going to be a different game from the last time we played them," said Simpson. "Our girls were excited today and ready to play."

The offensive outburst began right from the start, with Karns City's first three batters of the game singling off Cranberry starter Kelly Bickel.

The Gremlins' tallied four runs in that first frame, keyed by Ferraro's two-run double that brought home Jessica Spafford and Marissa Evankovich.

It was followed by two runs in the third, two in the fourth and three in the sixth before the home team's comeback.

"I can't blame the girls," said Simpson. "They battled the whole game and we hit the ball well."

Cranberry will travel to Moniteau at 4 p.m. next Tuesday for a district semifinal showdown.

Karns City 402 203 0 -11 15 7

Cranberry 120 207 x -12 5 5

WP:

Rhea Miller (1

IP) 3 strikeouts, 1 walk.

LP:

Roslyn Ferraro (1 IP) 0 strikeouts, 1 walk

Karns City (9-10):

Allyson Kepple 2-1B R, Jessica Spafford 1B R, Marissa Evankovich 2-1B RBI 2R, Shannon Christie 2-1B 2B RBI 2R, Haley Callihan 1B 3B RBI 2R, Jocelyn Bishop 2R, Roslyn Ferraro 1B 2B 4RBI, Samantha Pyle 2RBI, Ashton Pakutz 3-1B 2RBI, Courtney Williams R

Cranberry (16-5):

Casey Carson 2-1B 2RBI 2R, Jessica Snyder 1B 2RBI R, Kailyn Eakin 2-1B RBI 3R

Next Tuesday:

Cranberry at Moniteau, District 9 Class AA semifinal, 4 p.m.