The difference of one run made or broke the hopes of the three Craig All-Star teams at the Triple Crown youth baseball state tournaments in Denver.

“We we’re able to get the big plays when it counted,” said 10 & Under coach Shane Camilletti. “A lot of it had to do with how well we played, but we also had some breaks go our way.”

The 10&U Northwest Colorado Lynx had two one-run victories on the way to a state championship.

The Lynx lost to the Greeley Bad Boys in pool play, 17-5. When they met again, the one-run magic started for the Lynx.

Down 4-3 in its last at bat, the Lynx led off with a triple by Graig Medvesk.

Trevor Matrisciano scored Medvesk for the tie and Dylon Camilletti completed the revenge on the Bad Boys with a game-winning hit.

The next game made the difference between going home empty handed and getting a trophy for the Lynx.

This time, instead of needing offense to win the game, the Lynx needed defense. Up 10-9 with three outs left for Thorton, the Lynx gave up a lead-off hit and were faced with the winning run at the plate.

The next batter hit a single to left fielder Kulen Turner, who relayed the throw to Ben Williams, who fired a throw to catcher Medvesk. The catcher tagged out the potential tying run at home.

The next batter hit a line drive to Camilletti on the mound, who caught the ball and then doubled up a runner to end the game.

“It was pretty exciting for the kids,” Camilletti said. “We’d lost in the championship twice before this summer and it was our turn to win.”

The other two Craig teams were on the other side of the one-run contests.

“The close games didn’t go our way,” said 14&U coach Buddy Grinstead. “Our weekend didn’t quite turn out as well as we would have hoped.”

Grinstead’s team finished 1-3 with a one-run setback, 8-7, against Cheyenne Wyo., and a 7-6 defeat by a Fort Collins team.

The loss to Fort Collins came with the Craig team giving up a two-run lead in the bottom of the sixth.

The 11&U team, coached by Rich Sadvar, also endured two one-run losses and finished with a 1-3 record.

The tournament was the last for Anthony Coleman on a Craig team as he is moving before the school year starts.

Coleman was awarded the game ball for the tournament and was sent off in style.

Next up for Craig teams is the Regional Triple Crown tournament in Fort Collins.

“It will be nice because we won’t be playing the same teams,” Grinstead said.

“They are looking forward to going to Fort Collins, playing some baseball and just having fun.”

David Pressgrove can be reached at 824-7031 or dpressgrove@craigdailypress.com.