CARROLL — One play.

The Mediapoolis High School baseball team’s season came down to one play.

Senior Braeden Oliver slugged what appeared to be a two-run double to right-center field to give the Bulldogs a three-run lead over Unity Christian in the top of the fourth inning in Tuesday’s Class 2A state quarterfinal game at Merchants Park.

As Mediapolis celebrated the big hit, which would have given all-state pitcher Lance Ludens a three-run cushion, the Knights appealed the play at first base.

The first base umpire ruled Oliver did not touch first base. Instead, Oliver was the third out of the inning and the two runs, which already had been added to the scoreboard, were nullified.

That one play changed the whole complexion of the game as fourth-ranked Unity Christian rallied for a 5-1 victory over fifth-ranked Mediapolis.

Unity Christian (30-9) advances to a semifinal game to play top-ranked Underwood (25-2) at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

“If we they don’t blow that call at first, it keeps our momentum up and they’re down,” Oliver said. “It keeps us up and doesn’t change the game very much.”

Mediapolis finishes the season with a 27-3 record and is left wondering what might have been if not for the call on that one play.

“It is what is,” Ludens said. “The umpires are going to miss a few calls here and there. You just have to take it with a grain of salt and move on. You have to claw and scratch and try to get back. I’m still happy with our effort.”

“Honestly, we got robbed with that,” Mediapolis senior catcher Payton Doty said. “That would have made a dramatic change. It would have kept our morale up. It was a very bogus call. Nothing you can do about it though. That was a great team we played.”

“I always say that’s baseball. That was a momentum switcher, for sure,” Mediapolis coach Rick Whitaker said. “That’s a huge momentum shifter. We’re up, 3-0. Instead, we’re up 1-0. These are 16, 17-year old kids. It shouldn’t affect them, but sometimes it does.”

Mediapolis took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Oliver led off with a triple and scored on a one-out single by Will Luttenegger.

“That was amazing,” Oliver said. “That kept the momentum up the whole game until that blown call at first.”

Max Griffin and Henry Luttenegger worked two-out walks against Unity Christian starter Adler Van Essen in the fourth. Oliver followed with a double to the power alley in right-center field as Griffin and Luittenegger raced home and the celebration was on.

The Bulldogs’ elation turned to disbelief, then anger in a few short seconds as Oliver was ruled out and the 3-0 lead reverted back to 1-0.

“Momentum shifts hard,” Ludens said. “If that doesn’t get overturned, we’re up 3-0 and feeling good.”

“You have to forget about it,” Oliver said. “That’s the game of baseball. Everything changes. You have to have short-term memory.”

That one play carried over to the field for Mediapolis. The plays the Bulldogs had been making all season suddenly became errors and tough hits.

Before the Bulldogs knew what had hit them, Unity Christian had a 5-1 lead, Ludens was knocked from the mound and the season had come to a close.

“I’m still extremely proud of what we did,” Ludens said.

“It’s a miracle to be here,” Oliver said. “Everyone was doubting us. We had a hell of a season.”