Karns City's baseball team needed to work overtime for its second win of the season.

After Brookville erased a 5-2 deficit and forced extra innings on a cold Monday evening at Kelly Automotive Park, Tyler Dunn's RBI-single in the bottom of the ninth plated Zach Moore with the deciding run in an 8-7 victory for the Gremlins, who are defending District 9 Class AA champions.

“Champions find ways to win,” said KC coach Randy Collins. “It took us nine innings today, but we got the job done. Bringing seven starters back from a district championship team, today was a reality check. We're good, but we still need to work.”

The Raiders took a 7-6 lead in the top of the ninth when Kyle Dunkle reached on an error and scored on Shawn Blochberger's double. The run was charged to Tyler Kepple, who then struck out the side, leaving things up to his teammates at the plate.

After one out in the bottom of the ninth, Mike Riley reached on an infield single. Courtesy runner Cullen Williams stole second base and moved to third on Moore's base hit to left. Williams jogged home to tie the game after a balk was charged against Brookville reliever Ashtin Matthews. The miscue also put Moore on second base and moments later, Dunn's base hit ended the game.

Brookville coach Kenny Lindermuth wasn't too disappointed after his team nearly knocked off the defending district champions, though the Raiders' seven errors contributed to the defeat.

“Our guys never hung their heads and they battled back,” he said. “We made a lot of mistakes in the field, but this was our first time outside the gym this season. There are certain things you can't simulate in a gym.”

Kepple started the game at shortstop and became KC's third and final pitcher when he took the mound in the top of the seventh with the Gremlins clinging to a 5-4 lead. He was looking to earn a save, but that attempt was spoiled when Jarren Ross, who led off the inning with a single, came home on Blochberger's groundout to tie the game.

The teams traded runs in the eighth inning. Gavin Park and Kepple both tallied RBI-infield singles.

Kepple got the win, striking out six and walking one in his three innings of work.

KC built a 5-2 lead after three innings on the strength of just three hits. Brookville's defense committed four errors behind the pitching of starter Zack Byerly, who was forced to throw 44 pitches in the first two frames and was pulled at the start of the third inning.

Wyatt Shaffer surrendered two runs in the third — Riley's base hit drove in Wyatt Everetts and Hunter Schaffner — before Jordan Tosh and Park combined to give up no runs on two KC hits over the next four innings.

Entering extra innings, the Gremlins had five runs, but just five hits to go with them.

“I don't know if we were being fooled at the plate, but we just weren't disciplined,” said Collins. “We weren't staying back.”

“Overall, I thought our pitchers did a great job,” said Lindermuth.

Matt Yough started the game on the mound for the Gremlins and pitched four innings, striking out nine and walking none. He allowed two runs on four hits and was in line for the win until the Raiders began their comeback against the Gremlins' bullpen.

“He was a bit shaky in relief (in a win over Keystone on Friday),” Collins said of Yough. “I figured I'd give him another shot. He's usually better as a starter.”

Jimmy Thompson pitched the fifth and sixth innings for KC.

Brookville 101 002 111 — 7 12 7

Karns City 122 000 012 — 8 9 3

W: Tyler Kepple 3IP (6K, 1BB). L: Ashtin Matthews 1IP (1K, 0BB).

Brookville (0-1): Jarren Ross 2-1B 2R, Ashtin Matthews 2-1B R, Kyle Dunkle 1B 3B R 2RBI, Shawn Blochberger 2B 2RBI, Zack Byerly 1B 2B R, Wyatt Shaffer 1B R, Ben Caun R, Jordan Tosh 2B 2RBI, Gavin Park 1B RBI

Karns City (2-0): Nathan Weckerly R, Tyler Kepple 1B RBI, Wyatt Everetts 1B R, Matt Yough 2-1B, Mike Riley 2-1B 2RBI, Zach Moore 1B R, Tyler Dunn 1B RBI, Alessandro Marotto 1B R, Evan Stitt R, Cullen Williams R, Eric Dodd R, Hunter Schaffner R

Thursday: Venango Catholic at Karns City