ADAMS TWP — Mars could have felt the squeeze of the WPIAL baseball playoff race get even tighter Friday afternoon, but Joe Craska delivered a much-needed gem.

The junior pitcher worked six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits, in the Planets' playoff-clinching 3-0 victory against visiting Shaler.

Mars had dropped back-to-back games earlier in the week to South Fayette and Moon to drop the Planets to 4-4 in section play. Entering the game against Shaler, the Planets' playoff hopes were still in doubt.

“Joe came back today on just three days of rest,” said Mars coach Andy Bednar. “I don't like to do that, but we needed someone to step up and he did.”

Craska struck out nine and walked three, moving his record this season to 5-0 after throwing 97 pitches.

“The bottom part of Shaler's order was really struggling against my fastball, so I attacked them with that,” Craska said. “With the top of the order, I used a slider/curveball combo. I was getting more swings and misses with the slider and more takes for strikes with the curve.”

The Titans were hitless until Hunter Boyan's single with one out in the top of the fourth inning. With two outs, Craska walked Zach Hernon and Justin Desabato to load the bases before inducing Braeden Campbell to fly out, ending the threat.

“Joe struggled a bit in that inning, had to throw 30 pitches,” said Bednar. “But he came back out for the fifth and worked a 1-2-3 inning.”

Shaler's other hit was a leadoff single from Will Jamison in the sixth.

While Shaler coach Brian Junker credited Craska with a fine effort, he wanted to see better execution at the plate from his hitters.

“You can't miss fastballs,” he said. “That's the pitch every hitter looks for and we just missed on a lot of fastballs that were very hittable. You're not going to score many runs doing that.”

Hernon pitched all six innings for the Titans (9-6, 4-4) and allowed the three runs on just five hits.

The Planets broke a scoreless tie in the third when Shane Fox's groundout plated Tyler Kowalkowski.

Teddy Ruffner had two doubles in the game for Mars (10-6, 5-4). The first came in the fourth frame and led to him scoring on Jon Quinn's sacrifice fly.

In the sixth, Ruffner's double plated Matt Fuller with the game's final run.

Will Bednar, a senior and Mississippi State commit who had not pitched since late March with inflammation in his pitching shoulder, came on and worked a scoreless seventh frame for the save. He faced four batters, hitting one with a pitch and striking out another.

“His velocity is not where it needs to be,” said Coach Bednar, “but it had been five or six weeks since he pitched. Sometimes, an injury like that sticks in your mind. He just needed to get over the hump, get out there and get some work in.”

With a playoff spot now guaranteed, the Planets are hoping to play well into May, if not beyond.

“This section is such a grind, no game is easy,” Craska said. “It feels great to get this win.

“We got Will back today, which was great to see. We believe we can make a deep run at this thing.”

Shaler 000 000 0 — 0 2 2

Mars 001 101 x — 3 5 1

W: Joe Craska 6 IP (9K, 3BB). L: Zach Hernon 6 IP (0K, 1BB). S: Will Bednar 1 IP (1K, 0BB).

Shaler (9-6, 4-4): Will Jamison 1B, Hunter Boyan 1B

Mars (10-6, 5-4): Tyler Kowalkowski 1B R, Teddy Ruffner 2-2B R RBI, Joe Craska 1B, JJ Wetherholt 1B

Monday: Mars at Hampton