BROCKWAY — The Mars softball team's bid to extend its season came up just short Monday afternoon.

Brittany Geitner's three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning gave St. Marys a lead it would not surrender as the Dutch upended the Planets 5-4 in a PIAA Class AAA first-round playoff at Brockway High School.

Mars' best chance to overtake St. Marys came in the top of the sixth frame. Trailing 5-2, the Planets got things going with two outs.

Kasey Jones' double was followed by Niki Schlegel's infield base hit. Blake Kitt then smacked a two-run single to cut the Planets' deficit to just one run.

St. Marys pitcher Andria Copelli then pulled the plug on Mars, striking out Mallory Eperesi to end the inning. The former finished the game by striking out the side in the seventh, ending the Planets' season.

“Offensively, we just didn't have it today,” said Planet coach Michele Goodworth.

Copelli struck out 10 and did not walk a batter. She limited Mars (12-6) to just six hits. The junior improved her record to 14-4 and will take an ERA under one into the state quarterfinals.

“I didn't know much about her (Copelli) coming in,” said Jones, a senior first baseman for the Planets. “I saw her warming up and she looked pretty good. I knew we would have to bring our 'A' game, but it just didn't happen for us.”

Mars grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Suzanne Papik singled, moved to second on a fielding error and to third base on a passed ball. She scored on Jones' sacrifice fly to right field.

But Geitner, St. Marys' sophomore catcher, drilled her third home run of the season in the bottom of the inning off Schlegel, scoring Cheyenne Bothun and Caitlyn Bankovich ahead of her.

“That's the first home run to left I've ever seen at this field,” said St. Marys coach Bill Makufka. “That was a huge hit for us.”

The Dutch pushed their lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the third, but Mars answered with Schlegel's base hit that scored Erin Hershman in the next half inning.

“Mars didn't quit,” said Makufka. “They kept coming back. They're a good team.”

St. Marys (15-4) plated the eventual winning run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Geitner's two-out triple to left-center was followed by Allie Vollmer's single that scored courtesy runner Jenna Eozzo.

Schlegel struck out one and walked two while shouldering the loss.

The Dutch, the District 9 champions, began the season 2-3, but have now won 13 of their last 14 games.

“We have girls who passed up their senior trip,” said Makufka. “They are committed to play ball this year.”

The Planets' season included a trip to the WPIAL title game for the first time in eight years.

“Not many people would have picked us to play for a WPIAL championship,” said Jones, “but we knew we had a good team.”

“It was a very successful season,” said Goodworth. “We reached many milestones many people didn't want to give us credit for.”

Mars 100 102 0 — 4 6 0

St. Marys 301 010 x — 5 9 1

W: Andria Copelli 7IP (10K, 0BB). L: Niki Schlegel 6IP (1K, 2BB).

Mars (12-6): Suzanne Papik 1B R, Erin Hershman 1B R, Kasey Jones 2B R RBI, Niki Schlegel 2-1B RBI, Blake Kitt 1B 2RBI, Kassandra Johnson R

St. Marys (15-4): Cheyenne Bothun 1B R, Andria Copelli 2-1B, Brittany Geitner 1B 3B HR 3RBI, Allie Vollmer 1B RBI, Kristen Huff 1B RBI, Jackie Lenze 1B, Jenna Eozzo R, Caitlyn Bankovich 2R