WEXFORD — Monica Glomb was ready to pitch all day. Kyla Ferguson made sure she didn't have to.

Ferguson, carrying a .216 batting average, delivered a two-out RBIsingle up the middle in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving the Mars girls softball team a 2-1 WPIALClass AAAplayoff victory over Pine-Richland Saturday morning at North Allegheny High School.

The game had been tied at one since the fifth inning.

"Kyla's been working on her hitting and she's been hitting the ball a lot harder lately,"Mars coach Michele Goodworth said.

Ferguson almost decided the issue in the seventh inning. With two outs and Glomb on first, she drilled a deep fly ball to center field that Pine-Richland's Kristen Killeen barely caught up with.

"Yeah, I thought it was over her head,"Ferguson said. "It's OK, though. I was glad to get another chance."

The Planets (16-3) won for the 16th time in 17 games and face Valley (12-6-1) — a 4-0 winner over Hampton Saturday — in the second round at 3 p.m. today at Gateway.

Mars took a 1-0 lead in the second inning as Hannah Taggart led off with a walk, was bunted to second by Glomb and tried going to third on a ground out by Ferguson.

When the first baseman's throw sailed over the head of third baseman Kayla Dishler, Taggart trotted home.

Pine-Richland got even in the fifth in similar fashion. Killeen beat out a slap bunt with one out, moved to second on a ground ball, stole third and scored when the throw eluded Mars third baseman Autumn Barber.

"We gave them their run, they gave us our run,"Pine-Richland coach Jeff Seybert said. "In tight games like this, mistakes usually burn you."

None of it mattered to Glomb, who allowed only four baserunners in nine innings while striking out 17 for the third time this season.

Besides Killeen, the only Ram baserunner to reach second base was Melissa Martin, who walked leading off the ninth. She was bunted to second by Deanna Kelly.

Glomb then struck out Dishler and Cait Baer, the No.'s 2 and 3 hitters in the Pine-Richland lineup.

"I wasn't going to let them score again,"Glomb said. "I just play to have fun. I never get nervous out there.

"I don't just concentrate on throwing strikes. I throw to certain spots to try to keep the ball away from the hitters."

She was hitting those spots Saturday — as usual.

"Monica was Monica,"Goodworth said. "And we needed it. I know I was nervous about this game. It's hard to beat a team three times in a season to begin with and we had to wait all week to play.

"It's tough when you're playing outside for two months, then you're practicing indoors for a week. All I wanted to do was keep the girls focused."

Goodworth's concerns ended in the bottom of the ninth. Brie Berkopec led off with a single to right and moved up when Zara Zollner grounded out to the mound. Taggart walked and Glomb moved both runners along with a ground out to second.

Ferguson came through with a ground ball up the middle and into center field on a 2-2 pitch.

"The pitch was down the middle of the plate. I just wanted to send it back where it came from,"Ferguson said.

Mars defeated Pine-Richland 4-3 and 4-0 during the regular season.

"We were right with them all three games,"Seybert said. "Glomb's a tough pitcher. When the mound is 40 feet away and pitchers can throw hard, this is what you get.

"I'm proud of my team. We'll be back next year stronger than ever."

Pine-Richland had no seniors in its starting lineup this season.

Pine-Richland 000 010 000—1 2 4Mars 010 000 001—2 7 1WP: Monica Glomb (9 IP) 17 strikeouts, 2 walks. LP: Erin King (8 X\c IP) 8 strikeouts, 3 walks

Pine-Richland (12-8): Kayla Dishler 1B, Kristen Killeen 1B SB

Mars (16-3): Brittany Berkopec 2-1B, Brie Berkopec 2-1B, Monica Glomb 2-1B, Kyla Ferguson 1BRBI

Today: WPIALClass AAAplayoffs:Mars vs. Valley @Gateway, 3 p.m.