ADAMS TWP — Failing to score the winning run by inches in the bottom of the seventh must have felt like a punch in the gut to Mars' baseball team.

The Planets felt even worse after the next half inning.

Hampton's Burke Camper broke a scoreless tie with a three-run home run in the top of the eighth, sparking a 5-3 road win for the Talbots (6-4, 4-1).

The final frame spoiled a great pitching performance from Mars' Shane Fox, who scattered eight hits while striking out five and walking just one in seven shutout innings.

He left the game after allowing a leadoff single to Tyler Bischke in the eighth and was charged with the hard-luck defeat.

“The worst thing about this loss was getting an effort like that from Shane and wasting it,” said Mars coach Andy Bednar.

Alex Heavner relieved Fox. The first batter he faced, Casey Marshalwitz, reached on an error after putting down what he thought was a sacrifice bunt. That set the stage for Camper, who drilled a 3-1 pitch over the fence in center field.

“He had been hitting fourth in our lineup,” said Hampton coach Kellen Wheeler of Camper. “I moved him to third and he hit a home run (Tuesday) in a win over Moon.”

Things continued to snowball on the Planets after falling behind. Consecutive singles from Adam Stroud and Jon Ibinson, followed by another error, prompted another pitching change. Shinno Ikeda finally got out of the inning after giving up an RBI-single to Bischke.

“(Heavner) is a guy we've gone to a bunch of times and he's done an incredible job for us,” said Bednar.

The Planets (6-4, 1-2) rallied in the bottom of the eighth. They tallied four of their six hits in the frame. One, a single from Matt Fuller, drove in Tyler Kowalkowski with Mars' first run. Two more runs came home on an error, but Marshalwitz, who entered the game in the fourth inning, closed the door on the comeback.

“Casey's pitch count started to get up there and they got to him a bit,” said Wheeler, “but he fought through it and that's what it's all about.

“To win a game like this means a lot,” Wheeler said. “We've lost a lot of games in the seventh inning and this shows our players that we can win late in tight games.”

The game came very close to not reaching extra innings.

Marshalwitz struck out Rowen Fletcher with what appeared to be the final out of the inning, but the latter reached second base on a throwing error after a dropped third strike. Teddy Ruffner followed with a single to left and Fletcher was waved home, where he was tagged out by catcher Camper.

“I wasn't near the play, but our guys said the play at the plate was really close,” said Bednar.

It wasn't the only time the Planets came close to cracking the scoreboard before extra innings. Bischke, Hampton's starting pitcher, stranded five baserunners over the first two innings. The action on the base paths came on the strength of just one hit as Bischke walked four and hit a batter in the first two frames.

“We were in position to score early,” Bednar said. “We just didn't get the big hit today.

“I told the guys they have five minutes to be upset about this one. Then we have to worry about Moon (Thursday's game).”

Note: Mars pitching ace Will Bednar has been out of the lineup with discomfort in his throwing shoulder. The Mississippi State recruit hopes to return by the end of the month.

Hampton 000 000 05 — 5 9 3

Mars 000 000 03 — 3 6 4

W: Casey Marshalwitz 5 IP (6K, 0BB). L: Shane Fox 7+ IP (5K, 1BB).

Hampton (6-4, 4-1): Tyler Bischke 3-1B RBI, Casey Marshalwitz 2B, Burke Camper HR 3RBI, Jon Ibinson 2-1B 2R

Mars (6-4, 1-2): Teddy Ruffner 2-1B, Tyler Kowalkowski 1B R, Shane Fox 1B R, Matt Fuller 1B R RBI, Mitchell Schultz 1B

Thursday: Moon at Mars