MARYSVILLE – The Marysville-Pilchuck High School varsity baseball team is out of the running for state after a nail-biting home game against the Snohomish High School Panthers on May 8 ending in a 4-3 loss for the Tomahawks.

There was never much of a lead for either team during the game, and the outcome was decided in the last inning.

M-P senior first-baseman John Naff started out the game strong with a two-run home run in the first inning bringing the Tommies in to lead the game. The Panthers scored three runs and kept a one-run lead on the Tomahawks through the top of the sixth inning.

But it wasn’t until the bottom of the sixth that the Tommies rallied a comeback to tie it up before the last inning. The score was 3-3 going in to the seventh, but a Snohomish batter hit an RBI single that set them just above M-P and they weren’t able to make another run.

The loss means that the Marysville-Pilchuck season is over and no chance of going to state.

“It was a tough loss, both teams played hard,” said Greg Erickson, athletic director for the Marysville School District. “Both teams had sophomore pitchers and it was a close game.”

The Tommies were second in their division and third in the league behind Lake Stevens and Edmonds-Woodway high schools. Those schools are now first and second in the district championship tournament with Jackson battling for third. The top three schools in the championships will head to Pasco to fight for the state title on May 25-26. E-W lost to Lake Stevens, league champions, in a 5-4 final game on May 10.

The first round of the 4A District 1 baseball tournament started out great for the Tomahawks during an away game against Cascade High School on May 5. They dealt the Bruins a 3-1 defeat when pitcher Jake Johnson struck out five and gave up only two hits and one run. That victory led them into the District 1 round two playoffs against the Warriors on May 7, where they had a brief lead-up on E-W but the Warriors made a comeback and finished with the 8-6 victory.

That loss led the Tommies to the loser-out game against Snohomish, which lost them their chance at the district championships and state title.

“It’s really disappointing, but in this tournament it comes down to one game,” said Erickson. “It’s a tough way to end the season, but there were two good coaches and great kids. It was a classic high school event.”