UPPER ST CLAIR — Mars finally got the clutch hits.

The Planets just didn't get enough of them.

Ryan Cox singled through a drawn-in infield with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning Monday, plating Joe Kunzmann with the deciding run as Hopewell defeated Mars, 3-2, in a WPIAL Class AAA quarterfinal baseball game at Boyce-Mayview Park.

The loss was only the second in 16 games for the Planets this season.

“This loss is really tough ... It's one of the toughest of my coaching career,” Mars coach Brian Hobaugh said.

Mars trailed 2-0 through five innings and did not get a hit until the fifth inning. The Planets entered the game with a .361 team batting average, highest in the program's history.

A walk to Matt Critchlow started Hopewell's second inning. He advanced to third on a pair of errant pickoff throws before Tim Hughes singled to right, producing the game's first run. Hughes eventually scored on a two-out single by No. 9 hitter Logan Johnston.

Hughes' hit was a sharp ground ball through a drawn-in infield.

“I figured runs were going to be precious today,” Hobaugh said. “Tyler (Dean) is a ground ball pitcher and I saw a chance to choke off that run.”

“Seeing them pull their infield in that early ... yeah, it surprised me a bit,” Hopewell coach Joe Colella said.

The Planets' first hit was a leadoff double to center by Matt Eperesi in the fifth. He never moved, however, as Ryan O'Connor, Kevin Giallonardo and Dave Bednar were retired on infield outs.

Mars finally broke through in the sixth. No. 9 batter Aaron Lozzi — hitt ing .462 — singled to left to start the inning and Blake Friday tripled over the center fielder's head.

The Vikings brought their infield in and it paid off when Nick Comport grounded out to second base. Friday was unable to move. Ryan Wotus struck out and C.J. Weigand flew to center as sophomore left-hander Kunzmann escaped further damage.

“Missed opportunities,” Hobaugh said. “That was our story today. I know it, our coaches know it, our players know it and so do theirs.

“Our best three hitters are up with a man on third and we can't get a run. That tells the type of day we had.”

Still, Mars fought back in the seventh. Eperesi reached on an infield error and O'Connor bunted him to second. Giallonardo singled Eperesi to third.

Pinch-hitter Brian Cassidy got ahead in the count 3-1, but struck out.

With two strikes on him, Lozzi delivered a game-tying single to right. Giallonardo got to third on the play, but was left there as Friday popped out to shortstop.

“Aaron is an excellent hitter. He came through big-time there,” Hobaugh said. “I believed we were gonna go on to win at that point.”

Not to be.

Comport — who relieved starter Dean in the fifth — hit Kunzmann with a pitch to begin Hopewell's seventh. After failing to get a sacrifice bunt down, Nate Steel blooped a single to left.

Johnston did bunt the runners over and Cox' single ended the game.

“We caught a break there,” Colella admitted. “If we do get that first bunt down, who knows what happens from there?”

Hopewell is the defending WPIAL Class AAA champion, but has only two starters back from that team. The Vikings dropped six of their final eight regular season games.

Kunzmann threw 115 pitches — 76 for strikes — and struck out nine in a complete-game effort.

“This was the best he pitched all year,” Colella said. “He picked the perfect time for it. We had six sophomores in our lineup today. This was a huge win for us.”

And a huge loss for Mars.

“Funny things happen in baseball,” Hobaugh said. “This doesn't diminish what our kids accomplished. They did a great job this year.”

Mars 000 001 1 — 2 5 2Hopewell 020 000 1 — 3 5 1W: Joe Kunzmann 7IP (9K, 1BB).

L: Nick Comport 1.2IP (1K, 0BB).

Mars (14-2): Blake Friday 3B RBI, Matt Eperesi 2B, Kevin Giallonardo 1B, Aaron Lozzi 2-1B RBI

Hopewell (14-8): Ryan Cox 1B RBI, Matt Rubino 2B, Tim Hughes 1B RBI, Nate Steel 1B, Logan Johnston 1B RBI