Nobody said it was going to be easy.
Carson City's bid for the 11-12 District I all-star championship was put on hold for at least one night, as perennial powerhouse Washoe grabbed a 5-4 victory Tuesday night at Governors Field.
The teams will play again today (7:30 p.m.) with the winner advancing to the state tournament in Las Vegas. Washoe has won four straight since falling into the loser's bracket.
"This is the closest we've come to these guys," Carson manager Kinkade DeJoseph after the heartbreaking loss. "It was 17-7 two years ago and then it was 6-0 last year.
"We were down 5-2. Some teams would have given up, but we were in right down to the last out. They are a good team."
And, what a last out it was. With the tying run at third and the winning run on second, Jayden DeJoseph hit a line drive that Washoe second baseman Evan Crosse jumped up and speared to end the game.
"What a great baseball game being played by great baseball players," Washoe manager Craig Bullis said. "I know these Carson kids. We play travel ball with them. They are a fantastic group. I hope the people here tonight realize what a high-caliber ballgame this was."
Tez Allen led off the sixth for Carson with a walk and was wild pitched around to third by Oliver Shawa. After Shawa fanned Zach Simms, Tommy Gall blooped a single to right to make it 5-3. After Jesse Lopez popped out for the second out, Kyle Glanzman singled Gall to third. Bryce Moyle followed with a sharp single to the left of second base to score Gall and make it 5-4. That set the stage for DeJoseph, who hit the ball hard but was unlucky.
That line drive was a microcosm of the game. Carson had a few chances to score and couldn't come up with a key hit. It was the second bit of bad luck for DeJoseph, who came within inches of a three-run homer in the second.
"A few inches either way and that ball falls in, and a few inches higher Jayden would have had a homer," said the elder DeJoseph said.
An error and a run-scoring single by Zach Simms gave Carson a 1-0 lead after two.
In the third, Glanzman singled and moved to second on Moyle's single to right. DeJoseph followed with his ball off the fence.
That's when Washoe left fielder Jake Berger made perhaps the play of the game. From the warning track in left. Berger threw a shot to the plate to nail Glanzman, who failed to slide and was tagged out a few feet from the plate.
"I can't believe he got him out," the elder DeJoseph said.
"That was a big, big play," Bullis said. "It was right into the wind."
Kyle Krebs followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.
Washoe tied it in the bottom of the inning against Moyle.
Evan Crosse was safe at third base after a three-base error. After Gavin Bullis grounded to third for the second out, Berger grounded to shortstop Jace Keema, who threw out Crosse at the plate.
"I thought he was safe," Bullis said. "Their catcher (Gall) did a good job blocking the plate."
The score stayed that way until the bottom of the fifth when Washoe scored three runs to snap the 2-all tie.
All three runs were credited to DeJoseph, who left after 17 pitches. He will be available for today's game. Shawa helped himself with a run-scoring single off Krebs, who retired the last two hitters. Peyton Sakelaris followed with a two-run single.
On the positive side, Carson will have all of its pitchers except for Moyle for today's game. The elder DeJoseph has an idea in mind, but hasn't decided on his starting pitcher.