BROOKVILLE — On any other day, Karns City pitcher Coty McGregor's performance would have earned him a win.

But his counterpart was just as dominant.

McGregor struck out 12, walked only two and surrendered three hits in 8Z\c innings, but the last of those was a solo home run by Brookville's Tyler Ross in the bottom of the ninth inning that gave the Raiders a 1-0 win over the Gremlins in a District 9 Class AA baseball semifinal Thursday afternoon at the Raiders' McKinley Field.

Brookville's Matt Berfield turned in a clutch performance as well, shutting out the Gremlins on three hits. He struck out 12 and walked three.

"Matt has been a bulldog all season for us," said Raiders coach Korry Lindemuth. "I thought his great performance today was going to be spoiled, but Tyler picked him up."

Ross' game-winning blast came with one out in the ninth, when he sent McGregor's 106th pitch of the contest well beyond the left-field fence.

"That pitch was a dead ball," said McGregor. "After nine innings, what else do you expect?"

Karns City had its own scoring opportunity in the top of the ninth inning when Saxon Parker singled with one out and McGregor added a two-out single to put runners at first and second base.

But Berfield struck out Jeremy Bowser to close the inning.

McGregor was working on a no-hitter through four innings. The only Brookville base runner in that span was Joe Galbraith, who reached on a walk in the bottom of the first inning.

McGregor fanned six straight batters at one point, striking out the side in both the second and third innings.

Jacob Means collected the Raiders' first hit with a single to left leading off the fifth frame, but he was stranded at second base.

McGregor gave up one more hit and one more walk before Ross' plate appearance in the ninth inning.

"I expected this kind of performance out of Coty," said Karns City coach Rocky Brown. "There was no doubt in my mind that he could come in and have this type of game."

"My fastball was pretty much all I needed," said McGregor. "I threw in a curveball every once in a while."

But as frustrated as Brookville's hitters were for most of the game, Karns City's lineup was just as puzzled.

Berfield totaled eight of his strikeouts between the first and fourth innings, and the Gremlins (13-6) didn't collect a hit from the third inning through the eighth.

"I remember seeing (Berfield) pitch last year, and I knew he was going to be tough today," said Brown. "It was going to come down to which team could scratch out a run.

"We started the year 1-3," added Brown. "We could very easily have canned the season, but instead the kids kept getting better. And we went 9-3 in our last 12 games."

Brookville (13-5) will face Redbank Valley for the district title next week.

Karns City 000 000 000—0 3 3Brookville 000 000 001—1 3 1WP: Matt Berfield (9 IP) 12 strikeouts, 3 walks.

LP: Coty McGregor (8Z\c IP) 12 strikeouts, 2 walks

Karns City (13-6): Coty McGregor 2-1B, Saxon Parker 1B

Brookville (13-5): Tyler Ross HR, Joe Galbraith SB, Jacob Means 1B, Jacob Nunley