Mossyrock baseball players celebrate near home plate after scoring the winning run in a 4-3 10-inning victory over Naselle.

SOUTH BEND — The Naselle Comet baseball team rallied from a three-run deficit before falling to the Mossyrock Vikings 4-3 in extra innings in the 1B District 4 Championship game Thursday, May 11, in South Bend.

The Comets (13-5) rebounded from the 10-inning heartbreaker by crushing Rainier Christian School 23-0 on Saturday, May 13, earning a birth in the upcoming regional round of 1B WIAA state tournament.

The Comets will have a tough road to reach their goal and repeat as state champions, starting in the first round of the single-elimination tournament.

No. 5-seed Naselle (13-5) will next face No. 12-seed Crosspoint (9-6) at 12 p.m. in the opening round Saturday, May 20 at Larson Playfield in Moses Lake, a rematch of the 1B state championship last season, when the Comets prevailed 5-3. The winner of the Naselle/Crosspoint matchup will then play No. 4-seed Almira/Coulee-Hartline (16-1).

Comets rally runs shortNaselle started sluggish before rallying from a three-run deficit in the final two innings before eventually falling to Mossyrock 4-3 in extra innings.

The Comets struggled at the plate through the first six innings, falling behind 3-0 before awakening and tying the game (3-3) on a Clay Bergeson two-out RBI double, prompting a Mossyrock pitching change. Bergeson finished with three of Naselle’s eight hits to lead the Comets offensively.

The 3-3 tie held until the bottom of the 10th inning, when the Vikings were able to push the winning run across for a 4-3 victory.

Up next: No. 5-seed Naselle (13-5) will next face No. 12-seed Crosspoint (9-6) at 12 p.m. in the opening round of the 1B WIAA state tournament Saturday, May 20, at Larson Playfield in Moses Lake.