Karma was on Mesquite baseball coach Jeff Holland's side on Tuesday night. Twenty-four years ago to the day, Holland played for Gilbert High and legendary coach Bob Everett. That day Gilbert High won the big-school state baseball title beating Corona del Sol.

Holland can now say he's coached a state champion as 17 years of toil as the Wildcats' only coach in the sport produced a 5-2 come-from-behind victory over Liberty in the Division I title game before a large crowd at Diablo Stadium. Even bigger for Mesquite is the school can now hang a state title banner in its gym. The Wildcats athletic programs had gone title-less since the school opened in 1998 prior to Tuesday.

Holland and longtime assistant Shane Gift hugged a few seconds after Mesquite (24-9) recorded the final out on a ground ball to second. They've been lifelong friends and coached together at the freshman level at Highland for two years and at Mesquite the entire time. This one was a long time in coming, especially considering the year-after-year success of the program. It was witnessed by a large contingent of Mesquite faithful, including current and former coaches from many sports, teachers and former athletic directors.

"I got a little deja vu when we got the first batter out (in the seventh)," Holland said. "We were up on Hamilton in 2008 5-2 with one out and lost 6-5. We battled tonight. We were getting outhit, but pecked away and got some key hits."

Liberty (29-6), which was looking for its second baseball crown, struck for its two runs in the first inning, using a leadoff walk and bunt single to set the table for leading hitter and Player of the Year candidate Tyler Wyatt. Wyatt ripped an RBI double to left center and a second run scored on a fielder's choice two outs later off Mesquite starter Josh Webster. Webster brought a 6-2 record and 1.45 earned-run average to the game. He minimized the damage in the first and pitched out of trouble the next three innings. Twice Mesquite had action start in its bullpen, but Webster doggedly stayed the course and didn't need help to go the distance.

Webster got stronger as the game progressed, allowing one hit over the final four innings. The only time he retired Liberty in order was the seventh to nail down the title. Webster's confidence seemed to grow as his teammates gradually put runs on the board to catch and pass the Lions.

Noah Cordova (two doubles, two runs scored) stroked his first two-bagger and scored in the second, crossing the plate on a wild pitch to make it 2-1. Brit Fitzgerald led off the Mesquite third with a walk. After a stolen base and throwing error by Liberty starter Drew Hasquet, leadoff hitter Nick Daley tied it at 2 with sacrifice fly.

Mesquite took the lead for the first time and for good in the fifth. A one-out single by Bucky Dehority (two hits, run, RBI) signaled the end of the night for Hasquet, who threw a solid 4 1/3 innings. Wyatt, the staff ace, came on for the fifth time in the seven tournament games the Lions' played. Wyatt walked Fitzgerald to move the go-ahead run to second.

Daley then delivered his second RBI on the first pitch for a 3-2 lead a flare to right field.

"I was thinking I had to put it in play," Daley said. "We had a hit-and-run on so I had to swing. I got enough of the barrell on it to get it out there."

Wyatt quelled the threat with a pair of strikeouts, but Mesquite came back in the bottom of the sixth to tack on the final two runs. An error, Cordova's second double (an RBi double) and Dehority's two-out hit off the third baseman's glove gave Webster a three-run cushion.

"This one was like the first time we played," Liberty coach Jonn Freitas said. "We were ahead early and they came back. But we were exactly where we wanted to be. Close game. Tyler in the game. They hit a flare to right and one to left. You have to give them credit. I liked the position we were in. But that's baseball."