Pitching. Defense. Clutch hitting.

It was a triple threat for the Moniteau baseball team Tuesday afternoon at Kelly Automotive Park.

Derek Boben provided the pitching for the Warriors, working seven strong innings. The defense, led by center fielder Josh McBride, a slick double play started by shortstop Aaron Marterella and two perfect throws in the seventh inning to gun down runners at the plate, was sound and sometimes spectacular. And Cody Skiver provided the clutch hit in the sixth inning to give Moniteau a 4-2 win over rival Karns City.

“Sometimes a pitcher carries the load and sometimes the defense has to step in and carry the fair share,” said Moniteau coach Ross Martin. “I think defensively we did a very nice job.”

Moniteau (12-2) needed its defense behind Boben, who came into the game without giving up a run in 25 innings this season, but wasn't as sharp.

Still, he held Karns City hitless until the fourth inning when Alessandro Marotto lined a sharp single and didn't give up his first run until the sixth inning on a RBI triple by Matt Yough.

Leading 4-2 after a clutch two-run single in the bottom of the sixth inning by Skiver, Boben ran into trouble in the top of the seventh.

But two Karns City runners were thrown out at the plate on perfect throws by McBride in center and Marterella at short to kill the Gremlins' rally.

“Our defense has been playing really, really well this year,” said senior catcher Austin Blauser, who's been starting behind the plate since his freshman season. “We only lost one starter from last season, so everyone kept their roles and it's really taken off this year.”

Josh McBride chased down a shot off the bat of Tyler Dunn in center in the top of the first inning that saved a triple.

Jake McBride drove in Boben in the bottom of the first inning with a single to give Moniteau a 1-0 lead.

Skiver raced around to score from second on an infield single by Josh McBride to give the Warriors a 2-0 in the lead in the bottom of the second inning.

Moniteau's defense preserved that lead.

Marterella dove to his right to stab a hard-hit ball by Holden Martin with one out in the fourth inning, flipped it to JJ Waid at second who then made a strong throw to first to nip Martin for a 6-4-3 double play.

“It was just a great play. It was a great turn,” Blauser said. “They practice that every day.”

Karns City threatened again in the seventh, but had two runners thrown out at the plate before a Cody Deal RBI single cut the gap to 4-2.

Boben got a groundout to Waid to end the game.

“They're a good team. I didn't expect anything less,” said Karns City coach Randy Collins. “Ross Martin has done a great job over the years switching them over to a baseball mindset.”

The loss spoiled what was mostly a good outing by Karns City's Matt Yough, who struck out six and walked two in six innings of work.

“(Yough) is a great pitcher,” Skiver said. “We just tried to stay out of the 0-2 counts, the bad counts, and stay on top of the ball.”

Karns City, though, was unable to bunch hits together against Boben.

“Derek's going to throw a great game for us every time out. We know that,” Skiver said. “We just have to go out and do our part behind him. When we do that, we know we can be great.”

Karns City, the defending District 9 Class AA champion, will get another shot at its rival Thursday at Kelly Automotive Park.

“Matt did a great job,” Collins said. “Our bats were dead most of the game, that's what hurts ya.”

Karns City 000 001 1 — 2 7 0

Moniteau 110 002 x — 4 9 0

W: Derek Boben 7IP (6K, 3BB). L: Matt Yough 6IP (6K, 2BB).

Karns City (12-3): Cody Deal 1B RBI, Tyler Dunn 1B, Alessandro Marotto 1B, Matt Yough 3B RBI, Cullen Williams 1B, Evan Stitt 1B, Colton Hawk 1B

Moniteau (12-2): Josh McBride 1B RBI, Boben 1B, Jake McBride 1B RBI, Kaleb Eshenbaugh 2B, Zach Jewart 1B, JJ Waid 1B, Cody Skiver 2-1B 2-RBI, Austin Blauser 1B

Today: Union at Karns City; Moniteau at Keystone