ADAMS TWP — It's not how you start, but how you finish.

That adage couldn't have proved more true for David Bednar Tuesday afternoon.

Mars' junior pitcher was put on his heels by Hampton's offense early in the teams' crucial Section 4 showdown.

Eight of the first 13 batters Bednar faced reached base.

The right-hander battled, though, and came out of the first two innings trailing just 2-0.

Bednar went on to pitch the entire game, not giving up another run as the Planets edged the Talbots 3-2.

“I was able to stay focused on what I needed to do, which was keep the ball down and hit my spots,” said Bednar. “My curveball was working well, especially late in the game and it allowed me to be successful.”

By the time the Planets picked up the bats in the bottom of the fourth, Bednar had settled down on the mound, but the team had yet to manage a baserunner against Hampton's John Arnold.

Alex Smith was hit by a pitch to begin the inning, but was thrown out trying to steal second.

After two outs, Matt Eperesi singled to left and C.J. Weigand followed with a base hit.

Bednar walked to load the bases before Sam Swiatek singled home two runs and Nick Comport drove in another with a base hit.

“We talk about getting big two-out hits all the time,” said Mars coach Brian Hobaugh. “Credit (Arnold), he was cruising in the first three innings. Today, we got just enough to win.”

Bednar got a double play to help close out both the fifth and the sixth before working a 1-2-3 seventh to close the game. He finished with six strikeouts and a walk. He also hit two batters.

His day began by giving up an RBI single to Ben Vey and a run-scoring double to Ryan Gally, both in the first inning.

With the bases loaded and two outs, Bednar struck out Steve Dayton.

In Hampton's half of the second, Bednar again found himself in a jam.

Due in part to a fielding error behind him, Bednar loaded the bases a second time, but induced Gally to fly out to end the threat.

“You can't worry about what has already happened,” he said. “You just have to persevere.”

“David could've fallen apart in those first two innings,” said Hobaugh. “But he did a great job of hanging in there. We survived the onslaught.”

On the other side of the field, six stranded baserunners in the first two innings did not sit well with Talbots coach Matt Torrence.

“That's where the game was lost for us,” he said. “When you get a chance to get a pitcher out of his rhythm and possibly out of the game, you have to take it. We didn't.”

Mars' victory moves the Planets (13-3, 10-1) one step closer to a section title. Hampton (9-5, 8-2) and Knoch (8-3) are in second and third place, respectively.

Mars and Hampton shared last year's section crown.

“One of our goals is to win the section,” said Hobaugh. “We're closing in on that, but it is not done yet. We have some tough games ahead of us.”

Notes: Hampton's Brandon Marsonek relieved Arnold with one on and no outs in the sixth. ... Tommy Radzminski had two hits for the Talbots, while Weigand did likewise for Mars. ... Mars' Alex Smith stole his 16th base of the year, breaking the program record for swipes in a single season, formerly held by Bob Kalkowski (1991).

Hampton 200 000 0 — 2 7 0Mars 000 300 x — 3 6 3W: David Bednar 7 IP (6K, 1BB).

L: John Arnold 5+IP (7K, 1BB).

Hampton (9-5, 8-2): Tommy Radzminski 1B 2B R, Ben Vey 1B RBI, Ryan Gally 2B RBI, Cole McKinney 1B, John Arnold 2B, Brandon Marsonek 1B, Zach Staszak R

Mars (13-3, 10-1): Alex Smith 1B SB, Matt Eperesi 1B, C.J. Weigand 2-1B R, Sam Swiatek 1B 2RBI, Nick Comport 1B RBI, Matt Parrish R, Colin Stewart R

Today: Mars at East Allegheny