ADAMS TWP — Matt Evans provided damage control, but the damage was too much.

Mars scored five runs in the first inning — three crossing the plate on bases-loaded walks and another on a hit batsman with the sacks jammed — and held on for a 5-3 victory over Cranberry Township in Game 4 of the Eagle County baseball championship series Thursday night at the Mars Athletic Complex.

The victory gave Mars (24-5) the leaguie title — its sixth straight and 12th in 14 years — by a three games-to-one margin.

Alex Heavner started on the mound for Cranberry Township, but struggled with control. A bunt single by Zach Murray loaded the bases with one out for Mars. Heavner then walked Brendan Koroly and Noah Gabriel, hit Dan Berty with a pitch, and walked AJ Pagione to force home four runs.

Evans replaced Heavner on the mound, allowed a sacrifice fly to Colin Willianson, then escaped further damage.

“Our plan was to go with Alex tonight and have Matt ready to pitch tomorrow,” Cranberry player-manager Bill Clinefelter said. “But our hand was forced. Sometimes you have to live for today to get to tomorrow.”

Evans threw 83 pitches in the final 6.2 innings for Cranberry, allowing four hits and no runs.

But Cranberry’s bats had to face Mars ace hurler Matt DeSalvo, who came up with a gutty performance of his own.

DeSalvo went the distance, throwing 135 pitches and striking out nine. He walked five and surrendered seven hits in pitching in and out of troubnkle.

“My fastball felt weird coming out of my hand tonight,” DeSalvo admitted. “In the middle innings, I felt a little tired. I worked two jobs today, teaching baseball and installing a water heater, on top of this.

“I started to feel stronger late in the game.”

Nash Matson greeted DeSalvo with a double to left in the Cranberry first. He wound up scoring on Brandon Pouch’s ground ball to first.

Cranberry (20-12-1) missed a chance to add on in the third inning. With two outs, Jesse Clary — who had three hitss on the night — lined a single to left. He stole second and tried to score on Pouch’s single to center.

Mars center fielder and manager Brendan Malone unleashed a throw to the plate that cut down Clary.

Malone, 40, plans to retire from baseball after 21 years in the Eagle County league.

“I guess I had one more throw left in me,” he said. “I’m glad they didn’t hit another one to me, because I doubt I could have done that again. The play didn’t seem to be all that important at the time, but it turned out to mean a lot.”

“Huge play,” Clinefelter said. “Jesse thought he got in there, but it was bang-bang ... really close.”

Cranberry took advantage of sudden control problems by DeSalvo in the fifth. The right-hander walked only one batter in the first four innings, but walked four in the fifth frame. Mike Patsch walked and scored on Damian Yenzi’s sacrifice fly while Matson walked and scored on an Evans groundout to pull Cranberry within 5-3.

But DeSalvo slammed the door from there, fanning Johnny Brittner with two outs and the tying runs on base to close the fifth, then striking out five over the final two innings.

“I felt good at the end,” DeSalvo said. “This is the only time I throw, when I’m pitching in this league. Physically, I was fine.”

“Score five runs in the first inning, knowing you have Matt on trhe mound, you feel like you coast the rest of the way,” Malone said. “Unfortunately, thats what we did, coast. But give their guy (Evans) a lot of credit.

“He pitched against us in the regular season and we had two hits against him. He shut us down again tonight. The guy knows how to get us out.”

Mars mustered one scoring threat against Evans, but left the bases loaded in the sixth.

While Malone says he won’t manage next season, he left the door open to play a little more baseball.

“I hate to manage, I love to play,” Malone said. “If I’m around, I’ll probably play a little bit. But I’m hoping some of our younger guys take over,

“We have a good group here. Everybody shows up all the time, does what he needs to do, we like each other off the field as well as on it. We’re on a great roll.”

Mars 500 000 0 — 5 7 0

Cranberry Twp. 100 020 0 — 3 7 1

WP: Matt DeSalvo 7 IP (9so, 5bb). LP: Alex Heavner 0.1 IP (0so, 3bb).

Mars (24-5): Ray Scala 1B, Brendan Malone 2B 1B, Rich Devereaux 1B, Zach Murray 2-1B, Brendan Koroly RBI, Noah Geibel RBI, Dan Berty RBI, AJ Pagone RBI, Colin Williamson 1B RBI

Cranberry Twp. (20-12-1): Nash Matrson 2B 1B 2-R, Jesse Clary 3-1B, Damian Yenzi 1B RBI, Brandon Pouch 1B RBI, Matt Evans 1B RBI.