DUBOIS — Moniteau didn’t feel like much was expected of it.

Yet, the Warriors gave defending District 9 Class 2A champion Redbank Valley all it could handle before bowing, 2-1, in extra innings on Tuesday.

“We knew we could do it,” said Moniteau sophomore Dawson Cook, who held the Bulldogs without a score for 6.2 innings of relief on the mound. “Everybody underestimated us this season. Nobody thought we should be here, but we knew we should be here.

“We knew coming into this season that we were going to be one of the top teams — and we are.”

Experience shined through, as Breckin Minich’s hard-hit, two-out single walked it off for Redbank Valley in the bottom ninth and gave the Bulldogs (14-6) their second crown in as many tries.

“We have more experience in the District 9 playoffs than anybody else,” Redbank Valley coach Craig Hibell said. “Not baseball, but our kids won soccer, basketball, football, and baseball — all this year. These kids haven’t lost a District 9 playoff game in over 14 months.

“Not that I was overly confident, but I wasn’t nervous that our kids were nervous.”

Cook entered that final frame having already offered 74 pitches. He walked Carson Gould to start things off, then Brock George bunted into a fielder’s choice. Cook fanned Mason Clouse before Braylon Wagner singled to put runners on first and second.

“I know it’s not fully my fault, but I feel bad for the seniors,” Cook said. “We’ve been talking about this forever and I couldn’t capitalize. We needed to get one run across. We had a couple of chances to get one, but we couldn’t capitalize.”

The Warriors’ best chance at forging ahead came in their half of the sixth when Ian Ross and Cook hit consecutive singles to lead it off. With none gone, Cook’s courtesy runner, Derrik Moyer, lurked towards second, catching the pitcher’s attention and prompting a throw that way. Ross wheeled toward home, but the throw beat him there and he was tagged out on his headfirst slide.

James Gillen popped out into foul territory and Landon Kelly struck out to end that threat. Two innings after that, Cook grounded into a double play with two on and one out.

In the third frame, Cook’s two-out, bases-loaded RBI single scored Chason Rugg, tying matters at one run apiece. The Bulldogs’ initial score came on Owen Clouse’s two-out single in the bottom of the first, plating the other Clouse.

“They competed and definitely put some hard-hit shots (on us) early on in the game,” Hibell said. “They forced us to play defense. ... That was about as crisp and clean of a game as can be, minus a few offensive mistakes. That was a pretty mistake-free, well-pitched game on both sides.”

Fourth-seeded Moniteau reached Showers Field by way of wins over No. 5 Coudersport (7-0) and No. 1 Karns City (2-1). Cook got out of jams in the fifth, seventh, and eighth innings. Blaine Jamison made a leaping catch at the wall to keep things even in the middle instance.

“Kudos to Dawson Cook for competing,” Hibell said. “I know he threw a lot of pitches between Tuesday, Thursday, and again today.”

Moniteau 001 000 000 — 1 5 0

Redbank Valley 100 000 001 — 2 10 0

W: Owen Clouse 5IP (6K, 2BB). L: Dawson Cook 6.2IP (5K, 2BB).

Moniteau: Connor Ealy 1B, Ian Ross 1B, Dawson Cook 2-1B RBI, Alex James 1B, Chason Rugg R

Redbank Valley: Mason Clouse 3B R, Braylon Wagner 3B 1B, Breckin Minich 2-1B, Owen Clouse 1B RBI, Ty Carrier 2-1B, Cole Lufsey 1B, Brock George 1B R