DOUGLAS – For the third consecutive year, the Wyoming American Legion ‘A’ league hosted an all-star baseball game for players who earned all-conference and all-state honors.

On Saturday, the West Conference All-Stars defeated the East All-Stars, 9-8.

The East team featured five Torrington Tiger players and two coaches – Ayden Desmond, Ben Firminhac, Mac Hibben, Nolan Long and Austin Short, as well as coaches Jackson Jones and Sam Firminhac.

The East squad took an early 1-0 lead. Desmond led off the bottom of the first and was hit by a pitch. Three passed balls moved Desmond around the bases, giving the East the early lead.

The lead was short-lived as West battled back with five runs. The East defense committed two errors, and a pair of two one-out hits gave the West a 4-1. A bases loaded walk added to the West’s lead.

In the top of the third, Hibben pitched for the East. He recorded a fly out, strike out and a ground out in between hitting a pair of Cody batters.

In the home half of the inning, Hibben walked with one out and moved to second on a passed ball. Wheatland’s Ryland Petroski walked the bases loaded and Gillette’s Tyler Rambo doubled for the hit of the game for the East. The hit cut the West’s lead to 5-3. A wild pitch by the West allowed the East to cut the deficit to 5-4.

In the fourth, the West added a run, but Petroski made a spectacular catch at third base to get the East out of the inning.

The West added two more runs in the fifth, pushing its lead to 8-4.

Desmond tallied the first of his two hits for the East in the bottom of the fifth, and it was all the offense the East had in the inning.

In the sixth, Petroski found himself on the mound and tallied three strikes, working around a bases loaded jam.

The East got a run in the sixth, and in the seventh, Desmond got two quick outs with a pop out in foul territory and a strike out. The West tallied a two-out single and the team’s third error of the game, pushed the West’s lead to 9-5 before Desmond got a second strikeout to end the inning.

Long pitched the eighth inning. Long tallied a strikeout, and Petroski had an unassisted double play at third to get the East out of the inning.

Down 9-5 in the bottom of the eighth, the East began its comeback. They got a run across in the frame to cut the deficit to three, and in the bottom of the ninth, Desmond had a one-out single and scored on a West throwing error. Firminhac drove in a run on a sacrifice fly, cutting the West’s lead to 9-8.

It proved to be as close as the East came in the comeback attempt.

Desmond paced the Torrington players with a 2-for-2 at the plate with two runs scored and was hit by a pitch. Firminhac went 0-for-3 with an RBI. Long and Short was 0-for-2. Hibben walked twice in two at-bats.

Prior to the first pitch of the game, the announcement of the all-state teams were made, and Desmond and Firminhac made the first team, while Hibben and Long were on the second team.

All-State First Team:

Ryan Deveraux (Casper Drillers), Jace Jarrett (Cody Cubs), Dominic Phillips (Cody Cubs), Jackson Schroeder (Cody Cubs), Trey Schroeder (Cody Cubs), Trey Thomasson (Cody Cubs), Lane Kejr (Douglas Cats), Luis Lepe (Douglas Cats), Cameryn Spence (Douglas Cats), Mason Kuhbacher (Gillette Rustlers), Carlos Rodriguez (Lovell Mustangs), Tucker Jackson (Lovell Mustangs), Brock Johnson (Powell Pioneers), Cade Queen (Powell Pioneers), Trey Stenerson (Powell Pioneers), Jhett Schwahn (Powell Pioneers), Ayden Desmond (Torrington Tigers) and Ben Firminhac (Torrington Tigers)

All-State Second Team:

Bryce Camino (Buffalo Bulls), Brody Parks (Casper Drillers), Landon Speiser (Casper Drillers), Aiden teDuits (Casper Drillers), Chase Holler (Douglas Cats), Breckin Rich (Evanston Outlaws), Walker Wilson (Evanston Outlaws), Jarrett Black (Gillette Rustlers), Tyler Rambo (Gillette Rustlers), Ben Lail Jr. (Green River Knights), Jace Paoli (Green River Knights), Lander Welch (Green River Knights), Lafe Files (Lovell Mustangs), Alex Hedges (Lovell Mustangs), Will Greer (Sheridan Jets), Tanner Hamrick (Sheridan Jets), Mac Hibben (Torrington Tigers), Nolan Long (Torrington Tigers), Ryland Petroski (Wheatland Lobos) and Nolan Schaffner (Wheatland Lobos)

All-Conference First Team (local players only):

Ayden Desmond, Ben Firminhac, Mac Hibben and Nolan Long

All-Conference Second Team:

Landre Greiman and Austin Short