ADAMS TWP — Knoch softball coach Tim Knappenberger grabbed the game ball and stuffed it into his pocket.

He was holding it for freshman pitcher Heather McDermott. This one was special.

McDermott outdueled Mars ace Rachel Pastorek, relying on changing speeds, hitting spots and keeping the Planets off balance in a 2-0 win Tuesday.

Not only was it McDermott's first win of her young career, it also was the Knights' first victory this season.

"I will present this game ball to her later on," Knappenberger said. "This one was big for her.

"She worked the corners. She worked down and up. That's all she had to do," Knappenberger added. "She doesn't have the fastball some other girls have ... but we made some nice plays behind her."

And Knoch got the clutch hit that eluded both teams most of the day.

Pastorek cruised through the first three innings, striking out eight of the first 10 Knoch batters. But the Planets were unable to give her any offensive support, stranding a runner in every inning but the first.

Pastorek struck out 13 and walked four. Her last two walks hurt her dearly.

With two Knoch runners on base after drawing walks in the top of the seventh inning in a scoreless game, the Knights' Megan Schorl drove them home with a two-out bloop single.

It was a hard loss for Mars to swallow.

The Planets hit the ball sharply most of the game, but most of those sharp liners and ground balls were directed at Knoch defenders.

McDermott struck out only two Planets batters, but she walked only one and threw strikes.

Mars' best chance to score came in the bottom of the sixth inning, when Pastorek lined a sharp two-out single to left with pinch runner Kate Wolfinger on second.

Mars coach Michele Goodworth sent Wolfinger home on the hit, but she was gunned down at the plate.

"The last few games we have been struggling," Goodworth said.

Goodworth tried to spark her team by typing inspirational quotes on slips of paper. Each half inning, a player pulled one out, as if breaking open a fortune cookie, and read the saying aloud.

It seemed to inspire the Planets.

"They were excited," Goodworth said. "But it hasn't come together yet. I think they are more talented than they are playing. I just think they just aren't confident in themselves just yet."

Knoch 000 000 2 — 2 3 1Mars 000 000 0 — 0 5 0W: Heather McDermott 7 IP (2 K, 1 BB).

L: Rachel Pastorek 7 IP (13 K, 4 BB).

Knoch (1-6, 1-4): Megan Schorl 1B, 2-RBI; Mindy Bierhals 2-1B

Mars (2-6, 1-5): Alyse Ciafre 1B; Vanessa Dufford 1B; Charne Wilson 2B; Pastorek 2-1B; Caitlin Conner 1B

Thursday: Indiana at Mars

Friday: Knoch at Penn Hills