CHERRY TWP — With her team unusually flustered at the plate, Sara Hull stepped into the box with one thing in mind.

Delivering in the clutch.

And the sophomore third baseman did just that.

Hull lined a sharp single to left to score Kennedy DeMatteis from third in the bottom of the sixth inning as Moniteau eked out a 1-0 win over feisty Cranberry in the District 9 Class AA semifinals Wednesday afternoon.

“It was a nice win,” Hull said. “Coming into the game I was hoping I could be the winning hit.”

Moniteau coach Dan Beebe was also pleased it was Hull who delivered.

“My hat’s off to Sara Hull for getting that hit,” Beebe said. “In my opinion she was an (all-KSAC) snub this season and for her to come up there and get that hit, I couldn’t be happier. My heart goes out to her.”

Hull was one of the heroes for the Warriors (19-1) in a game dominated by pitching.

Kennedy DeMatteis sat down the first 19 batters she faced before Nicole Hutchison lined a double into the right-center gap in the top of the seventh inning.

After a sacrifice bunt moved Hutchison to third, DeMatteis got cleanup hitter Kendra Schreck to ground out to Cortney Claypoole at short to end the game.

DeMatteis gave up just that one hit, struck out 13 and didn’t walk a batter in the win.

“Kennedy pitched fantastic,” Beebe said. “Thirteen strikeouts. No walks. One hit. You’re going to win a lot of games with an effort like that even if you only score one run.”

Moniteau was held to fewer than four runs just once this season — in its lone loss to West Allegheny early in the season.

The Warriors were batting .471 as a team and had scored 197 runs coming into the game.

But Moniteau hadn’t seen Cranberry pitcher Natalie Barcinas before.

The younger sister of the Berries’ usual starting pitcher, Sarah Barcinas, the right-hander kept the Moniteau hitters off-balance throughout the game and carried a no-hitter into the bottom of the sixth inning.

“It was mostly outside pitches she was throwing,” Hull said. “It was hard to hit because we are all so used to pulling the ball.”

Cranberry coach Shawn Bean said he went with the younger Barcinas just for that reason: to throw off Moniteau’s timing.

“It was someone they hadn’t seen and they are used to seeing faster pitching down here,” Bean said. “I think that was something we could mix up a little bit and it showed. Pretty much the majority of the game we were able to keep them off-balance a bit.”

Moniteau did manage to get at least one runner on base in each of the first five innings, but left six runners on — five in scoring position.

It made for some nervous moments for Beebe, but he said it may end up helping his team more than some of their many blowout wins this season.

“We like winning 10- and 15-run games better, but this is the kind of game we’ll benefit from down the road,” Beebe said. “We expected a close game. We knew they’d give us a game today and we’re happy to get out of here with a win.”

Moniteau will now square off against a familiar foe in the District 9 Class AA title game when the Warriors clash with Karns City at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at Clarion-Limestone.

Moniteau has already beaten the Gremlins twice this season, 11-1 and 4-1.

“I don’t get caught up in the rival part of it all,” Beebe said. “It’s hard to beat a team twice, let alone three times in a season. We’ll show up ready to play next week.”

Cranberry 000 000 0 — 0 1 2

Moniteau 000 001 x — 1 2 0

W: Kennedy DeMatteis 7IP (13K, 0BB). L: Natalie Barcinas 6IP (3K, 5BB).

Cranberry (12-6): Nicole Hutchison 2B

Moniteau (19-1): Kennedy DeMatteis 2B, Sara Hull 1B RBI

Wednesday: Moniteau vs. Karns City in District 9 Class AA championship game at Clarion-Limestone, 4:30 p.m.