MARS - On their bright red uniform top, tucked at the end of the word Mars, is a conspicuous Roman numeral.

II.

It signifies second. It signifies there is another - an original - in existence before them.

There is. But at least on Thursday, Mars II was No. 1.

The members of the Mars II Eagle County League baseball team can thank Josh Rape's right arm for that. The pitcher shut down the powerful lineup of No. 2 seeded Mars I on the way to a 4-2 win at Marburger Field in the third and decisive game of their first-round playoff series.

"Josh has been struggling a little bit this year," said Mars II manager Scott Shankel. "This was by far the best he had pitched all year."

Rape gave up just two hits, a double in the second inning by Steve Cunningham and a leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh to Ron Talik.

In between, there was nothing but zeros.

"We only had two hits?" asked Mars I co-manager Rob Fester. "Wow. I didn't know that."

It's no surprise Fester was, well, surprised. It's not often Mars I, with a lineup full of mashers, is held to so few hits.

The only two runs Mars I managed against Rape came when a third strike got away from catcher Derec Ciafre, allowing Regis Burris to score from third base in the first inning, and on wild pitch that allowed Cunningham to scamper home from third in the second inning.

Rape had pitched only one inning in the last month because of tendinitis in his throwing shoulder.

"Resting my shoulder really helped out," Rape said. "I had all my pitches working, my curveball, slider, changeup. They were all working."

Rape got all the run support he would need from Matt Rovnan.

The cleanup hitter launched a solo home run in the second inning off Fester that barely cleared the short right-field fence. There was no doubt about his two-run shot in the fourth inning, as it easily carried out to right.

On each home run, Rovnan circled the bases not in a trot, but in a full, frenetic sprint.

"He does that every time he hits one," Shankel said. "That's his thing."

It served to fuel the growing fire to win the game for Mars II.

"That gets us going," Rape said. "Those two home runs were huge."

Rape nursed that two-run lead, never getting into any real trouble until the seventh inning.

After Talik doubled, he moved to third on a groundout, but was stranded there.

Mars I pinch-hitter Mike Sheehy, still recovering from surgery on his torn rotator cuff and labrum in his right shoulder, popped out to shallow right field to end the game.

"I had to go down with my hammer at the plate," Fester said.

Fester didn't pitch poorly, giving up only four hits.

On July 4 he one-hit Mars II.

"They got the clutch hits when they needed them and we didn't," Fester said.

Fester missed almost all of last season after injuring his right knee in the first game.

"It was a lot of fun," Fester said. "It could have been more fun. We have a good group of guys and hopefully, we'll have more fun in the future."

Mars II will face No. 1 seed Saxonburg in the second round of the playoffs Saturday at Highfield Park.

In the other semifinal series, Cranberry will host Natrona Heights, which beat Zelienople 7-1 Thursday to win its series.

Had the Eagle County League not expanded its playoff field from six teams to eight this season, seventh seeded Mars II wouldn't have had a playoff series to play, let alone celebrate winning.

Mars I won the first game of the series 13-2, but Mars II rallied for a 4-3 win Wednesday to force Game 3.

"We held them to five runs in the last two games," Shankel said. "That's amazing."

Mars II 010 300 0 - 4 4 0Mars 110 000 0 - 2 2 1WP:Josh Rape (7 IP) 2 strikeouts, 5 walks.

LP: Rob Fester (7 IP) 9 strikeouts, 0 walks

Mars II (12-18): Matt Rovnan 2-HR, 3-RBI; Brian Hart 1B; Mike Skurko 1B; Derec Ciafre RBI

Mars I (20-10): Steve Cunningham 2B; Ron Talik 2B

Saturday: Mars II vs. Saxonburg at Highfield Park, time TBD