Mars gets game-winning hit in Ninth Inning; Advances to PIAA Quarterfinals

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The Mars baseball team had a few days to digest their tough, extra inning loss in the Class 5A WPIAL Championship Game. Now they can celebrate its own extra inning win, 3-2 in 9 innings against District 3 champion Ephrata, in the PIAA first round.

In the top of the ninth, junior Tyler Kowalkowski hit a two-out, game-winning single to send the Planets into the PIAA quarterfinals. Kowalkowski finished the game 2 for 5.

The game was scoreless heading into the top of the eighth when junior Will Bednar delivered a two-RBI double. Ephrata answered with two runs of its own in the bottom half to set up the ninth inning heroics.

Bednar started and pitched the first seven innings, allowing only two hits and struck out six before being taken out. Senior Frank Craska came on in relief, pitching the final two innings and striking out four for the win.

Also recording multi-hit games for the Planets were junior Rowen Fletcher (2 for 5) and senior Anthony Michalski (2 for 4).

Mars improves to 16-6 and advances to the PIAA quarterfinals on Thursday against the winner of Marple Newtown vs. Boys Latin.