Staff report

GRANITE QUARRY — The game of Carson left-hander Maverick Walters’ baseball life earned him hugs, praise, applause and memories on Friday.

But in the end, there were only almosts, tears and might-have-beens. Baseball can be cold and cruel sometimes, and Walters, who deserved a better fate, was on the losing side in the second round of the 3A state playoffs.

Top-seeded East Rowan waited a while but showed why it’s the top seed in the 3A West bracket in the bottom of the seventh. With a throng at Staton Field roaring, the Mustangs scored twice with their backs to the wall — once with the long ball, once with little ball —  and won 2-1.

Harrison Ailshie, East’s junior star who is a UNC commit, was the other key actor in the drama. On the mound, he struck out 10 Cougars and he walloped the massive homer leading off the bottom of the seventh that tied the game at 1-all. East had been playing uphill, frustrated by Walters and by Carson’s defense, but that shot turned things East’s way.

“Fastball up and out, and I got all of it,” Ailshie said. “I was right on time with that swing. That changed momentum for us, and the rest of the inning kind of snowballed on them.”

Walters was expected to be Carson’s ace when this season started. He’s not a crafty changeups-and-curves southpaw who’s trying to trick people, he’s a tall, athletic junior power pitcher. He’s got some stuff. Things did not bounce his way most of this season, but Carson right-hander Kendal Sifford emerged as an ace and won nine games. Sifford prevailed in a tough fight in the first round at South Point, with important relief help from Walters and Carson Kirk.

With everything on his shoulders, Walters put it all together at Staton Field. After three efficient innings, he had faced the minimum nine batters. He was mowing down Mustangs and matching zeroes with Ailshie

Walters provided himself with a run in the fourth when he drove in Cameron Williamson. Carson might have gotten more, but Logan Bradley made a catch in deep left with two out and two on to get Ailshie out of the inning.

East put runners on base in the fourth and fifth, but Carson’s defense erased them with double plays.

It was still 1-0 in the top of the seventh when Ailshie reached the pitch-count limit of 105 with two outs. His younger brother, Brady, took the mound and got the last out. Harrison nailed down 20 outs and Brady got one, but Brady was soon to become the winning pitcher. That’s baseball.

Harrison Ailshie’s blast to open the bottom of the seventh made it 1-all, suddenly and emphatically.

“I think we all felt like, OK, we’re going to win this game now,” Ailshie said.

East did.

Mason Phelps came through with a hit. The next two batters got bunts down, and Carson couldn’t get an out. Bases loaded.

And then a pitch was sailing away, and Phelps was dashing for home with the walk-off run.

East head coach Brett Hatley has seen many comeback wins by his team the last few years, especially at home. This was just one more.

East graduate JC Alexander, the first year coach of the Cougars, got to part of a classic, even though it was an unhappy classic from Carson’s perspective.

“Tough to lose it,” he said. “But seriously proud of Maverick. Seriously proud of the way all our guys fought all season long. This was a special group that did great things for the program.”

The Mustangs don’t have to write any season obits yet. They move on. They’ll play another South Piedmont Conference team in Round 3. East will take on Lake Norman Charter (13-10) for the fourth time at home on Tuesday. Lake Norman Charter beat West Henderson 9-4 in the second round.