WEXFORD — For a split second, Teddy Ruffner thought his drive to center was going to carry over the fence.

Then he realized where he was playing.

“It's really deep out there here (at North Allegheny High School),” Ruffner said, smiling.

So, Ruffner did one of the things he does best.

Run.

The Mars leadoff hitter hustled into third in a tie game in the bottom of the seventh inning with a triple and JJ Wetherholt followed with a single over a drawn-in infield and outfield to give the Planets' baseball team a walk-off 4-3 win over Gateway in the first round of the WPIAL 5A baseball playoffs Wednesday afternoon.

“I was just digging. I knew I could get three,” Ruffner said. “If there is anyone on this team I want up in that situation, it's JJ. He always comes through in pressure situations.”

It was a joyful ending in what had been a frustrating day for Wetherholt, who had been 0-for-3 before his at-bat in the seventh.

It was also very unfamiliar territory for the senior shortstop, who is headed to West Virginia University to play next year.

When asked how often he had gone 0-for-4 in a high school game, Wetherholt raised one finger and smiled.

He wasn't going to make it twice.

“I had no doubt JJ was going to get it done,” Ruffner said.

“I felt like I wasn't giving my best to the team and I really needed to come through,” Wetherholt said. “I went up there with all the confidence in the world.”

Wetherholt's walk-off hit came against Gateway reliever Ryan Greggerson after Mars, with a combination of patience and peskiness, made Gateway starter Floyd McKenna hit his 100-pitch limit after the Ruffner triple.

McKenna, a left-hander, had handcuffed a potent Planet lineup for the better part of six innings.

Two of the four runs charged to McKenna were unearned.

Wetherholt jumped on Greggerson's second pitch and lofted it to right field over what was essentially a seven-man infield for the Gators.

“JJ was pretty frustrated after his last at-bat in the fifth,” said Mars coach Jason Thompson. “I told him, 'JJ, you're going to come up again and you're going to win the game for us.'”

Thompson was prophetic.

He also figured the days of scoring 10 runs a game were over.

It's playoff time and contests tighten up.

Mars (13-6) came into the playoffs with a school-record 174 runs scored this season. The Planets, though, were 2-6 in games they didn't reach double digits in runs this year.

Still, a 3-0 deficit against Gateway in the bottom of the second didn't faze Mars.

“We never feel out of any game,” Thompson said.

The Planets got two runs back in the bottom of the second, the key hit a RBI single by Ruffner, and then tied the game in the bottom of the six on a throwing error.

After a rocky start, Mars starting pitcher Tom Mclaren settled down. The right-hander got a no-decision, but didn't allow a hit in the third, fourth and fifth innings to keep Mars within striking distance.

Thompson decided to start Mclaren instead of No. 1 pitcher Alex Heavner to save Heavner for No. 1 seed Franklin Regional Friday.

Heavner did pitch against Gateway and got the win, throwing just seven pitches in 1/3 of an inning.

He'll be available Friday.

“He just dialed it in,” Thompson said of Mclaren, a sophomore. “He's so effective when he's down around the knees.

“It was really risky. You never want to look past any team and we weren't looking past Gateway by any means,” Thompson added. “But we were looking at we need two games, not just one. Mclaren came out and did his job.”

Mars will face Franklin Regional at 7 p.m. Friday at North Allegheny.

Gateway 210 000 0 — 3 7 4

Mars 020 001 1 — 4 8 1

One out when winning run scored

W: Alex Heavner 0.1IP (0K, 1BB). L: Floyd McKenna 6.1IP (7K, 2BB)

Gateway (7-7): Nate Demchak 3-1B, McKenna 1B, Ryan Greggerson RBI, Luke Jackson 1B RBI, Angelo Ross 1B, Will Roper 2B, Jalli Thompson RBI

Mars (13-6): Teddy Ruffner 1B 3B RBI, JJ Wetherholt 1B RBI, Mitchell Schultz 2-1B, Heavner 1B 2-R, Trey Wagner 1B, Matt Mroz 1B

Friday: Mars vs. Franklin Regional in second round of WPIAL 5A playoffs at North Allegheny, 7 p.m.