The Pilots’ victory Saturday was almost a photocopy of its previous two: they were down 2-0 early before roaring back to secure the victory.

This time there were bigger implications attached to it.

Peninsula (17-4) clinched a Petitt Cup playoff berth with its 5-3 victory over Martinsville (8-14) by winning the First-Half East Division title. The Pilots will be in the postseason for the first time since 2019 as last season’s playoffs were canceled due to COVID-19.

Martinsville grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a solo home run from Will Knight, extending it in the third inning on an RBI double from Knight.

That was the final lead the Mustangs would hold on the night.

In the top of the fourth inning, Peninsula first baseman Justin Starke smacked a one-out single before stealing second. The next two bases came easy for him, though, advancing to third and scoring on back-to-back passed balls.

An inning later, center fielder Zac Morris roped his third double of the season. Two batters later, his double play combination — shortstop Jack Dragum — collected his first hit of the night, singling home Morris before getting hung up between first and second and tagged out to retire the side.

Dragum followed that up in the top of the seventh with his second RBI single of the night which plated catcher Zach Lass from second to give the Pilots their first lead of the ballgame.

The Charlotte product finished the night 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a walk.

After a two-out Mason Dunaway hit-by-pitch, Morris scored his second run of the night on a passed ball — the seventh run Peninsula has scored in the last four games on a passed ball or wild pitch. That capped off the Pilots’ two-run seventh inning to give them a 4-2 lead that they would not relinquish.

Martinsville grabbed another run on a solo shot from Jimmy Losh in the bottom of the eighth, but that was quickly answered a half-inning later by a bases-loaded walk from Trey Morgan.

Morgan finished the night at the plate 1-for-2 with the lone RBI, a run scored and three walks, but that wasn’t all he did on the night.

After a leadoff triple from Mustangs catcher Bo Rusher in the bottom of the seventh, manager Hank Morgan went out to get starting pitcher Blake Purnell.

The Florida right-hander gave six strong innings, striking out just three while allowing just two runs on five hits and two walks to earn his first win of 2021.

Lefty Trey Morgan came in and stranded the runner on third, striking out a pair and getting a 1-3 groundout to retire the side unscathed.

The Hampton, Virginia, native pitched another inning allowing just one run on a hit and a walk, bridging the game to Lamar righty Marcus Olivarez — who earned his second save of the season.

The first half finale Sunday at 6 p.m. will be on the road against the Tobs in Wilson, North Carolina. The Pilots are 4-1 against Wilson on the year and 1-0 at Shepherd Stadium — a 12-2 victory Sunday.