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The St. Bernard’s Crusaders moved within one win of officially clinching at least a share of this year’s Little 4 championship in baseball with a 19-0 win over a short-handed South Fork in five innings on Tuesday.

The win lifts the SB boys to 8-1 in conference play with three games remaining, including another game against the Cubs in Miranda on Thursday.

The Ferndale Wildcats, who defeated Hoopa 18-0 on Tuesday, are the only team that can catch the Crusaders, but they will need help

St. Bernard’s Michael Manzi continued to play at an MVP level in Tuesday’s win, with big contributions both on the mound and at the plate.

The junior pitched two hitless innings in relief and struck out two while walking one.

Manzi also was 2-for-3 at the plate with a double and four RBIs and scored two runs.

Fellow junior Tyler Hinrichs also had a big game for St. Bernard’s.

Hinrichs got the start on the hill and posted the win, throwing three innings of one-hit ball and striking out eight.

Tyler Maples also had a big game for the conference leaders as he continues his impressive season, finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs.

A young Cubs team, to its credit, competed well early in the game despite featuring several back-ups in the lineup, and the visitors trailed by just three runs after two innings.

But the home team would put the game out of reach with 13 runs in the third.

“Due to injuries, disciplinary and educational reasons, I wasn’t able to play my regular starters,” South Fork head coach Alex Finn said. “But it also gave me a chance to play some of my reserves who haven’t seen very many consecutive innings or at-bats this season.”

Despite the lopsided result, there were some bright spots for the young Cubs.

Yoshi Hatch got the start on the mound, with Braeden Steinle, Bodhi Howes and Dorje Johnston all pitching in relief.

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Sheyne Casey also was 1-for-2 in the loss.

“We have to find more ways to swing the bat, put the ball in play and put pressure on the defense,” Finn said.

Luke Brunton and Garret Shanahan each added a double for St. Bernard’s, with the latter also driving in two runs and scoring three, while TC Rinker and Mateo Reiman each finished 1-for-2 with an RBI.

It was also a memorable day for SB sophomore Trenten Hagler, who was 1-for-4 with his first high school hit and drove in three runs.

Thursday’s game between the two schools is set for 4 p.m.