CRANBERRY TWP — The Mars baseball team's offensive machine was recharged by its oldest part Tuesday night at North Boundary Park.

Manager Brendan Malone called on Sam Sibeto Sr., who is 54, to hit with two men on and Mars trailing by a run in the seventh inning.

Sibeto delivered a game-tying RBI groundout that helped Mars escape with a 3-2 win and take a 2-0 lead over Cranberry in the best-of-five Eagle County Championship Series.

“It's nice. I would have been in the lineup if I didn't pull my hamstring,” Sibeto said when asked about being asked to pinch-hit. “It's nice he called upon me to hit. I really wanted to hit and I'm glad I got that chance.”

Sibeto's heroics were needed because Mars' offense — which plated 53 runs in its first four playoff games — cooled off.

Malone was happy to have a veteran bat off the bench.

“No doubt. If he wasn't hurt, he'd be our 10th batter in the order,” Malone said. “He's like a weed. He doesn't die. He gets older and older and still keeps hitting.”

Malone drove in Mars' other run with a single in the third.

Otherwise, Mars (26-5-1) struggled to move runners around. The team hit into one double play, had a runner get caught stealing and another get picked off.

Cranberry pitcher Eddie Emes limited Mars to five hits and one run through the first six innings.

Trailing 2-1, Malone felt Mars would still find a way.

The offense turning into a murderer's row was a recent development for Mars, which is on an 18-game winning streak.

“Most of the year, we were winning games 3-2 and 2-1,” Malone said. “Our pitchers were really holding us in during the first two months of the season. In the last two weeks, we starting hitting the heck out of the ball.”

Brent McCormick got the rally started for Mars in the seventh with a single and he moved to third on two wild pitches.

One batter later, GJ Senchak walked and stole second. Sibeto fouled off several pitches before sending a grounder to short, scoring McCormick.

“I was looking for a pitch I could hit hard,” Sibeto said. “He was pretty much throwing fastballs and I wanted to get some wood on it.”

Sam Sibeto Jr. followed with a groundball to Cranberry manager/first baseman Bill Clinefelter.

The ball caromed off his glove and floated toward second baseman Rob Julian, who couldn't get the ball back to Clinefelter before Sibeto beat out the throw.

“We should have capitalized on the opportunities and we didn't,” Clinefelter said.

Cranberry's Dave Coradi took advantage of his opportunities. He crushed a pitch to deep left-center field for a home run that gave Cranberry a 2-1 lead in the fourth.

“I was cruising until that point and I got a little careless,” said Mars pitcher Jimmy Devine, who struck out seven batters in seven innings of work. “I had to focus up and hit my spots better. It was one of the furthest balls I've seen hit here and it made me more selective with my pitches.”

This is the second straight series Cranberry has fallen behind 2-0. Clinefelter hopes Cranberry (22-12-1) will find a way to rally like it did against Mars II in the semifinals.

“It's a lot like the last series, we let Game 2 get away,” Clinefelter said. “We are hoping tomorrow we'll follow that trend.”

Mars 001 000 2 — 3 6 0

Cranberry 000 200 0 — 2 5 1

W: Jimmy Devine 7IP (7K, 2BB). L: Eddie Emes 7IP (3K, 5BB).

Mars: Dan Penberthy 1B, Brandon Bergstrom 1B, Brendan Malone 1B RBI, Sam Sibeto Sr. RBI, Brent McCormick 1B.

Cranberry: Dave Coradi HR 2-RBI, Joel Shaffer 1B, Ryan Owens 1B, T.J. Kuny 1B, Rob Julian 1B.

Today: Cranberry vs. Mars at Marburger Field.