JEFFERSON TWP — Knoch seniors Lindsay Edwards, Madi Gardner and Sennett Purcell were honored before the game.

Freshman pitcher Marlee Fraser took control during it.

Fraser struck out nine and scattered seven hits in leading the Knights to a 5-2 non-league victory over Karns City on Monday at Laura Doerr Park. It was Knoch’s 10th win in 12 games following an 0-5 start.

The game was Knoch’s final home contest of the season. The team’s lone seniors — Edwards, Gardner and Purcell — were recognized during a pre-game ceremony.

“They’ve had a lot to do with the success we’ve had this year,” first-year Knoch coach Chris Gardner said. “They’ve led by example.”

Karns City (6-7) scored both of its runs in the top of the first inning. With two outs, Jess Dunn doubled to right, scoring on Jada Polczynski’s single up the middle. Polczynski took second on a throw to the plate and scored on Nicole Taylor’s line single to right.

That was the extent of the Gremlins’ run production.

Fraser limited KC to four hits the rest of the way, no more than one in an inning.

“She did a nice job locating her fastball,” Gremlins coach Mike Stitt said. “I don’t want to take anything away from her — she beat us and she pitched well — but this was our first game in a week. We had prom and all that goes with it and it’s tough getting everybody back in the swing of things after that.”

Fraser helped Knoch (10--7) get those two runs back immediately. Purcell singled up the middle with two outs and Liz Danik walked. Fraser lined a run-scoring single to left, Danik also crossing the plate after an errant throw.

Edwards had a two-out RBI single in the second to give the Knights the lead they never lost. Brynne Smith came off the bench to deliver a RBI double in the fourth, later scoring herself on an errant throw in the infield.

Fraser took care of things from there. Dunn doubled with one out in the KC third inning, but was stranded. She was the only Gremlin to get as far as second base after the first inning.

“We have four freshmen in our lineup on a fairly regular basis,” Gardner said. “Marlee is one of them. We also have Lindsey Wise in left, Liz Daniko at shortstop and Alena Tekely in right. Marlee is our hard thrower and Sylvia (Luffy) throws a spinner. We mix up our pitching because they are totally different.

“We played a lot of tough competition to begin the season, teams like Shaler and Armstrong that have won championships. We always do that. Games like those makes us stronger for the season.”

Knoch wound up sharing the Section 1-4A title with West Mifflin at 8-2 this season. The teams split their two regular season meetings.

“It was important to us to win today,” Purcell said. “We play for each other and we play as a team. We believe in each other. After that (0-5) start, we just kept working at it.”

The Knights play at Franklin Regional on Wednesday before moving into the WPIAL playoffs. Karns City does not play again until May 16.

“It’s been tough this year, getting games rained out and trying to get them rescheduled,” Stitt said. “Were looking at another long layoff here. But we held a good team to five runs today and gave ourselves a chance to win.

“I was happy to see that.”

Karns City 200 000 0 — 2 7 3

Knoch 210 200 x — 5 7 0

WP: Marlee Fraser 7IP (9so, 1bb). LP: Addison Burrows 6IP (3so, 3bb).

Karns City (6-7): Lyrik Reed 1B, Jess Dunn 2-2B 1B, Jada Polczynski 1B RBI, Nicole Taylor 1B RBI, Bailey O’Donnell 1B.

Knoch (10-7): Lindsay Edwards 1B RBI, Sennett Purcell 2-1B, Marlee Fraser 1B RBI, Alena Tekely 1B, Brynne Smith 2B RBI, Lindsey Wise 1B.

Wednesday: Knoch at Franklin Regional

May 16: Karns City at Clarion