CASTAIC >> An improbable season ended in improbable fashion on Saturday in the CIF State Southern California Division V Regional baseball final between Castaic and Ganesha.

The Coyotes and Giants alternated leads throughout the first seven innings, with the game needing two extra innings to declare a winner.

Ganesha pulled ahead 6-5 in the top of the ninth inning, but found itself in a quandary in the bottom of the inning with Castaic loading the bases with zero outs.

After a strikeout, Castaic’s Tyler Hawn hit a grounder back to the pitcher, allowing Ganesha to throw out the runner at home. But a throw from home to first base that could have equated in a game-ending double play instead went past the first baseman, allowing Castaic to score two runs to seal the victory 7-6 over previously undefeated Ganesha.

“When I saw the ball squirt away from the first baseman, my heart just dropped and I was like, ‘Run,’” Castaic head coach Darrell Davis said. “We did something that is unheard of. I never dreamed that we’d be doing this.”

For Ganesha, the CIF-SS Division 7 champions, the chance to go undefeated ended just like that. The Giants finish 20-1.

“We get a grounder back to the pitcher, get the out at the plate and we have to rush the throw to first and threw it away,” Ganesha head coach Tony Green said. “I thought for a second there we were gonna get out of this, but it didn’t bounce our way. Our guys gave us a chance. Most teams would tap, but these guys didn’t stop one time.”

The Giants took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning off a stand up RBI-double by Noah Alvarez, sending leadoff hitter Bryce McAnich, who started the game with a base hit, across home plate.

Castaic pitcher Kyler Freude shook off the two-hit first inning and struck out the next four batters he faced. Freude finished with six strikeouts through seven innings.

The Coyotes’ offense took over in the third inning with consecutive hits by David Cailotto, Matthew Airhart and Anthony Luna. Cailotto scored on Luna’s single, and two batters later Aaron Gonzalez drove in Airhart with a double to give his team a 2-1 advantage.

Castaic kept the pressure on in the fourth inning, scoring three more runs to take a comfortable 5-2 lead.

But the comfort didn’t last long, as the Giants chipped away by scoring their third run in the fifth inning, before eventually tying the game 5-5 in the seventh.

The Giants were knocking on the door in the eighth inning with two runners on base, but a diving catch by Airhart in left field prevented Ganesha’s Gabriel Smith from putting his team ahead.

“Most of it is instinct,” Airhart said about his potential game-saving catch. “I missed the one earlier, so I had to show up again and prove myself.”