CALIFORNIA, Pa. — With the first pitch, Ambridge's Liz Decima gets hit in the wrist. The second pitch sails to the backstop.

An un-Glomb like beginning to the WPIALClass AAAsoftball championship game, to be sure.

But Mars pitcher Monica Glomb was still wearing a broad smile as she caught the return throw from catcher Brie Berkopec.

"Nothing ever gets to her,"Planets coach Michele Goodworth said. "She's in her own world out there."

Glomb also hit the third batter she faced in the first inning. She also struck out the side. Then she struck out the side in the second inning.

"Monica gets back in control,"Mars assistant coach Mike DelDuca said. "She's like that. She's had that kind of confidence since ninth grade.

"Once she zones in, gets focused and stays focused, nothing can stop her."

After the two hit batters, Ambridge managed only four more baserunners the rest of the game.

"I was trying to brush them off the plate early because they were really crowding it," Glomb said. "Those pitches just never broke back across the plate.

"No, I'm not used to starting a game like that. When they didn't score and I got a couple of strikeouts, I settled down."

In other words, business as usual.

During Mars' four-game tournament run to the WPIALClass AAAtitle, Glomb struck out 46 and walked two.

For the overall season, she has pitched 140 innings and allowed 55 hits. Her 0.53 earned run average includes 238 strikeouts and only nine walks.

"Is she the best pitcher we've faced?That's hard to say,"Ambridge coach Jim Huwar said. "She's a very good pitcher who had great control today.

"She did what she wanted to do against us."

And that was after struggling during pre-game warmups.

"Monica had trouble getting loose and a couple of her pitches weren't working for her before the game,"DelDuca said. "A lot of that was nerves, I think.

"This was the biggest game of her career to date and she knows a lot of the Ambridge players. I'm sure a lot was running through her mind."

DelDuca has been calling Glomb's pitches for the past two seasons — and he's had plenty to choose from.

Glomb throws a fastball, changeup, drop-pitch, curve and riser.

"And she can spot her location on every one,"DelDuca said. "Inside, outside, high, low, it's fun just watching her."

Goodworth pitched for Mars' first varsity softball team in 1990 and said she threw the ball so slow that "Iscrewed up everybody's timing and no one could hit it.

"Monica is just an amazing kid. She's worked so hard to get where she's at. She's the type of kid who deserves this.

"What she's done in the playoffs is what we've been seeing all year,"Goodworth added.

If Glomb has anything to say about it, people will be seeing it for a few more games yet.

Mars is now four wins away from the state championship.

"I think we're going to win the whole thing,"Glomb said. "Our team really wanted this. We showed a lot of heart and we deserved to win."