CHERRY TWP — The errors and unearned runs piled up for the Moniteau softball team.

Ultimately, though, those weren't the deciding factors in the Warriors' 9-0 home loss to St. Marys Thursday in the District 9 Class AA semifinals.

It was the pitching of St. Marys freshman Rachel Ginter.

"We don't see enough of that caliber of pitching on a regular basis," said Moniteau coach Danny Hindman. "Even if you do see it on a regular basis, you are still going to struggle to hit it."

Ginter struck out seven Warriors — pushing her season total to 186 — didn't walk a batter and was two outs from a no-hitter when Ashley Lominski flared a single for the lone Moniteau hit.

The Warriors hit only two balls out of the infield.

Hindman is at a loss on how to expose his team to more top-notch pitching.

"Right now, I don't have an answer that," Hindman said. "We don't see many pitchers like that (in the Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference.) ... . They play a lot of travel ball, and that's where we need to go as a program."

Moniteau starter Holly Colosimo matched Ginter pitch for pitch through the first three innings, striking out four, walking none and allowing one single through the first three frames.

But St. Marys scored an unearned run in the top of the fourth and seven unearned runs in the fifth to quash the Warriors' hopes.

Moniteau committed three errors in the fifth and five in the game. Only one of the nine runs scored by the Flying Dutch were earned.

They counted on the scoreboard, however.

"We've played like that in the past, but we've cleaned it up lately," Hindman said. "But, you just never know. Nerves, those things."

St. Marys took full advantage of every Moniteau miscue.

The Flying Dutch, making their first district playoff appearance since 2001, were coming off a 12-1 win over Kane in the first round and kept their momentum going.

"It was a nice all-around game," said St. Marys coach Manny Gerarge. "We've been playing our best ball the last few games. Hopefully that will continue."

St. Marys entered the playoffs with a 7-12 record. But the small school in the Mountain-Nittany League in Elk County had only one Class AA team on its schedule this season. The rest of its opponents were much larger.

"I think that helped us," Gerarge said. "We were preaching to them that they were better than their record because of the bigger schools we played. They bought into it."

St. Marys will play Cranberry Wednesday for the District 9 Class AA championship.

St. Marys 000 171 0 — 9 7 2Moniteau 000 000 0 — 0 1 5W: Rachel Ginter 7 IP (7 K, 0 BB).

L: Holly Colosimo 4X\c IP (6 K, 1 BB).

St. Marys (9-12): Kali Quagliani 1B RBI, Angie Gradizzi 2-1B RBI, Cassie Wonderling 1B RBI

Moniteau (11-7): Ashley Lominski 1B