ADAMS TWP — It wasn't pretty, but the Mars baseball team survived.

After watching a four-run lead over Highlands slip away in the top of the seventh inning, the Planets set out to end a game that had become too close for comfort.

After one out in the bottom of the frame, Alex Smith drew a walk from Ryan Richards, the Golden Rams' second reliever of the game.

Smith stole second base and Kevin Giallonardo followed with a shot off the fence in left field.

Smith came home to secure a 9-8 win and the Planets let out a collective sigh of relief.

“We were a bit down after the top of the seventh,” Giallonardo said of Mars allowing Highlands to tie the game, “but getting (Smith) on base was big.”

“It was a 3-1 count, so I was looking to hit,” added Giallonardo. “I knew we had a guy on base and I was just looking to bring him in.”

“Alex has been a catalyst for us this season,” said Mars coach Brian Hobaugh. “And Kevin did a nice job of getting a pitch to hit.”

Hobaugh, however, was also disappointed that there had to be a bottom of the seventh.

“This game should never have come to that,” he said. “We haven't put teams away this season. We play well in spurts.”

The first four Highlands' batters reached base in the top of the seventh.

That string included a two-run single from Nate Virag that cut Mars' edge to 8-6.

After giving up a base hit to Richards, Mars reliever Matt Eperesi was pulled in favor of David Bednar.

After the switch, Jake Tutak tallied an RBI-groundout and Richards tied the game when he scored on a wild pitch.

Later in the inning, Bednar came up with a pair of clutch strikeouts to strand runners at first and second.

The Rams, who had tallied just one hit through the first four innings, plated six runs on six hits from the fifth inning on.

“Our guys didn't quit, they just kept coming,” said Highlands coach Jeff Weissert. “Before the top of the seventh, I told them we needed four runs. If we got any more than that, great, but we needed at least four.”

Mars scored at least one run in every inning, tallying 12 hits, including five extra-base hits.

“This was our best offensive performance of the year,” said Hobaugh, “but Highlands was the grittier team today. I told their coach that and that's how I feel.”

Mars committed two errors in the game, one of them leading to a pair of unearned runs in the top of the fifth, pulling Highlands to within 5-4.

The Planets responded by plating two runs in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to a couple of bases-loaded walks from Highlands' Nick Borkowski.

Mars added a run in the sixth with Bednar's run-scoring single.

Highlands 100 120 4 — 8 7 2Mars 211 121 1 — 9 12 2W: David Bednar 1 IP (2K, 1BB).

L: Ryan Richards 1.1 IP (1K, 1BB).

Highlands (4-5, 2-4): Tyler Negley R, Nate Torgent R, Zach Scott 1B 2R, Nate Virag 1B 2B R 3RBI, Ryan Richards 2-1B 2R RBI, Jake Tutak RBI, Taylor Shiring 2-1B RBI, Phil Cowan R

Mars (8-3, 5-1): Alex Smith 1B 3R RBI, Kevin Giallonardo 2-1B 2RBI, David Bednar 1B RBI, Sam Swiatek 1B 2-2B 2R RBI, C.J. Weigand 2-2B, Josh Bartley 2B R, Dylan Stewart 2-1B, Ben Erdahl 2RBI, Colin Stewart 2R

Friday: Mars vs. Knoch at Pullman Park