Carle Place's Tyler Marquart makes the winning move in Game 1

Kids grow up dreaming of scoring the winning run in a championship, visualizing a sliding play at home as fans erupt with cheers.

Dreams don’t always turn into reality. But the two blended together into a lifelong memory for Tyler Marquart and the comeback kids of Carle Place baseball in one of the wildest finishes in Long Island high school baseball this spring.

Marquart slid home to score what proved to be the winning run in the top of the ninth inning for No. 2 Carle Place, miraculously avoiding the outstretched hand of catcher Alex Karpavicius to give the Frogs a 4-3 lead and win over No. 1 Oyster Bay on Saturday in Game 1 of the Class B county championship at Farmingdale State.

“Rounding third base, I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m out,’” Marquart said. “I swim-moved the guy and got there.”

A diving left-handed grab by third baseman Nikolas Rodriguez sealed the win minutes later.

“Coming out, winning Game 1, and setting the tone for the entire series is just a great feeling,” first baseman Patrick McCarthy said.

The sophomore reached first off catcher’s interference in the ninth with two outs showing and ended the eighth inning with a terrific catch against the net behind the plate. McCarthy had a hit and two RBIs, scoring Marquart’s winning run with a base hit to rightfield.

“Credit to my teammate Tyler for the slide,” McCarthy said. “As soon as I saw the ump’s arms go up, it was just electric. I didn’t even know what to do.”

The win gives the Frogs a 1-0 series advantage over the Baymen heading into Sunday's Game 2 in the best-of-three series, beginning at 10 a.m. back at Farmingdale State.

With one out already on the board and a 3-1 lead, Oyster Bay looked primed to win Game 1 in the top of the seventh. A double play looked likely as Marquart rushed from first to second base off McCarthy’s grounder.

But as the ball was flipped to second base for the out, it struck Marquart’s helmet mid-run. The ball bounced out of the infield as Carle Place’s Michael Tucholski scored his second run of the game to cut the lead to one.

Marquart added the tying run to force extra innings a minute later off an RBI from Phillip Bunt. Tommy Schoch pitched a complete nine-inning game for Carle Place, striking out five against seven hits allowed. The junior retired the last 11 batters he faced.

“You can’t let the moment get too big,” Schoch said. “You don’t want to get too amped up and overthrow or anything. I just have to execute my pitches the best I can and keep the same attitude I have throughout the whole entire game.”

Oyster Bay (16-7-1) scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, highlighted by Karpavicius’ two-run double deep into centerfield. Liam Gorney went 2-for-4 and struck out eight over 6 ⅓ innings, allowing three runs (one earned) and four hits.

Even with the chaotic celebrations and surreal finish, it’s only one part of the story. Carle Place (17-6) will get the chance to write its storybook ending Sunday morning in Game 2, but nothing will ever rewrite the first chapter the Frogs created themselves.