DES MOINES - In its biggest game of the summer, the big play eluded Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln.

The result was a big letdown for the Lynx, who fell 5-4 to Des Moines East in Friday night's Iowa Class 4-A substate baseball opener at Bob Watson Field at Des Moines Hoover High School. Abraham Lincoln stranded 10 runners and just missed on a number of defensive plays that could have kept its season alive.

Instead, the Lynx headed back to Council Bluffs wondering what might have been.

"A lot this year, we didn't make one key play or get one key hit," Abraham Lincoln senior pitcher Alex Crowl said. "That cost us the game again."

Despite falling behind 4-0 and not owning a hit through three innings, Abraham Lincoln (20-16) made matters interesting late. It loaded the bases in the sixth with one out, but East pitcher Colby Carmichael induced fly balls to right field from leadoff hitter Connor Gann and Beau Brownlee.