ADAMS TWP - Second chances don't always present themselves in high school sports.

Fortunately for Jen Oliver, her chance at redemption was just within her reach … literally.

The New Brighton shortstop dropped a pop fly in the top of the fifth inning that sparked a two-run inning by Mars, giving the Planets a 3-1 lead Thursday in a WPIAL Class AA softball playoff game.

The Lions overcame the miscue and were protecting a 5-4 advantage in the final inning when Mars' Brie Robison stepped to the plate.

Monica Glomb had singled with two outs and was standing on first base as the tying run.

Robison hit a sharp groundball that appeared to be headed up the middle. That's when Oliver dived to her left and speared the ball with her glove. From her knees, she got the ball to second baseman Kristin Heinrich to force out Glomb, ending the game.

"It was a great job by Jen," said Lions' coach Joe Ursida. "She dropped the ball earlier, but came back to contribute that great play. She's a great kid and a tough competitor."

Glomb ended up shouldering the loss, pitching six innings with four strikeouts and nine hits given up. The freshman also collected two of the Planets' seven hits.

"She's a girl who has worked very hard over the last eight years," said Mars coach Michele Goodworth. "She is a talented player on both ends."

The Planets saw their 3-1 lead evaporate in the fifth and sixth innings, as New Brighton tallied two runs in both frames to claim a 5-3 cushion.

The go-ahead hit came in the bottom of the sixth when Lindsy Howe managed to place a single just inside the left field line, scoring Emily Zajdel. Mandy McCollough followed with a run-scoring triple to make it 5-3.

The Planets came to bat needing two runs to stay alive. They got one of them right away.

First baseman Kyla Ferguson led off the inning and got hold of a Stephanie Wagle pitch and deposited it on top of the concession stand roof beyond the left field fence.

"We were confident we could get something going in the last inning," said Goodworth. "That's been one of the keys to our season, the ability to score runs."

Megan Maloni and Amanda Charles followed with ground outs before Glomb reached base with a single to right.

Wagle was credited with the win after pitching two innings in relief of Lions' starter Ashley Winters.

After tallying two hits and no runs in the first three innings, New Brighton collected seven hits and all five runs in their final three at bats.

"They hit (Monica) hard," said Goodworth.

"This team has been able to do it all this year," said Ursida. "On offense, on defense, they've played well together."

New Brighton will face the Riverside/Mohawk winner in the second round.

Mars 010 020 1 - 4 7 1

New Brighton 000 122 x - 5 9 3

WP:

Stephanie Wagle (2 IP) 0 strikeouts, 0 walks.

LP:

Monica Glomb (6 IP) 4 strikeouts, 1 walk

Mars (9-8):

Amanda Charles 1B RBI, Monica Glomb 2-1B RBI, Kristin Scheller 1B R, Ashleigh Smith 1B, Ashley Phelps RBI R, Kyla Ferguson HR R RBI, Megan Maloni 1B R

New Brighton (16-5):

Kristin Heinrich 1B, Ashley Grisnik 2-1B R, Emily Zajdel 1B 2B R, Alyssa Potts 2B RBI, Lindsy Howe 2-1B RBI R, Mandy McCollough 3B RBI, Heather Sandusky R, Mariah McCollough R