KENNEDYTWP — Familiarity breeds contempt.

The Mars softball team has quite a bit of both for Fairhaven Park and Hampton.

For the third time in the playoffs, the Planets played at Lind Field in Fairhaven Park. For the fourth time this year, Mars squared off against Hampton.

The intimacy with their surroundings and their opponent didn't do the Planets much good in a 2-1 WPIAL Class AAA consolation game loss to the Talbots Wednesday night.

The loss ended Mars' season.

"Familiarity can be a good thing, but this time I don't think it was," said Mars coach Michele Goodworth. "I think we were too familiar with Hampton. Sometimes that can psych you out."

Mars had faced Hampton pitcher Lis Schulz each of the three regular-season meetings and beat her twice, including a 1-0, 14-inning epic earlier this month.

In that win, Mars pitcher Monica Glomb struck out 27 batters. This time, the senior whiffed just nine.

"I told the girls to lay off the high pitch," said Hampton coach Ron Fedell. "The last time we played them, the umpire was calling them high, so it was hard to stay off of them. This time we were more patient."

Hampton (15-7) still managed just four hits off of Glomb, but the Talbots scored both of their runs in the second inning.

Amy Zeis led off with a single, stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice fly and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Annie Martucci.

Christine Newby, who had walked and stole second earlier in the inning, scored when Glomb threw wildly to third after taking the cutoff throw from the outfield.

Game. Set. Match.

"I told the girls that this was the second time we gave away a game here," Goodworth said. "When you do that, you don't keep playing."

Mars answered with a run off Schulz in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI single by Emma Wharrey, but the team could not scratch another run across the plate.

The Planets had opportunities, however.

Mars could not take advantage of three Hampton errors and left five runners stranded on base — three in scoring position.

It has been the Planets' bugaboo all season — a lack of clutch hitting.

"It's tough," Goodworth said. "I don't even know what to say. We spend so much time on hitting. We were very capable of hitting against this team, but we just didn't connect today.

It's hard to beat a team three times," Goodworth added.

Hampton will move on to the state playoffs, which begin next week, as the third seed out of the WPIAL.

Fedell's only lament is the game againstMars didn't have even higher stakes.

"I had hoped to play them in the championship game," Fedell said. "But it just didn't work out that way."

The game was the final one for Glomb and Wharrey.

Glomb finished her senior season with a school-record 255 strikeouts. Glomb, who will pitch next season at Kutztown State University, finished her career with 732 strikeouts.

"I'm very proud of both of them," Goodworth said. "In key situations they've come through this season. Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be today."

Hampton 020 000 0—2 4 3Mars 010 000 0—1 3 1Lis Schulz and Ashley Simakas; Monica Glomb and Brittany Berkopec.

W: Schulz (6 K, 0 BB).

L: Glomb (9 K, 4 BB).

Hampton (15-7): Jamie Korneck 1B, Amy Zeis 1B, Annie Martucci RBI, Simakas 1B

Mars (12-10): Kelsey Ferguson 1B, Emma Wharrey 2-1B RBI