CALEDONIA — Caledonia High School fast-pitch softball coach Robin Elmore was pleased with almost every aspect of her team’s game Thursday night.
Elmore enjoyed everything except the final score.
In a battle between Class 4A, Region 4 leaders, Caledonia built an early five-run lead before falling 7-5 to region leader Houston at Lady Confederates Field.
“I could not have been prouder had we won,” Elmore said. “Houston has a really great team. They made some tremendous outfield catches, robbing us of some more runs. We built an early lead and had our chances to expand that lead. You really can’t keep a great team down for long. I am super proud of our effort.”
The Class 4A playoffs begin one week from today. The top three teams in the six-team Region 4 race will advance to postseason. Houston (24-1, 9-0 region) already had clinched the region title earlier in the week. Caledonia (11-8, 4-3 region) enters the final week with a firm grasp on second place.
However, the Lady Confederates will play region games Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday and will be challenged to hold their place.
“We got to fight through some things and come up with some plays,” Elmore said. “We have a very big week ahead of us. We play at Kosciusko Monday, Leake Central at home Tuesday, and Leake Central there on Thursday. I like the way we are playing. I like the way we are hitting the ball.
“It’s a big challenge in front of us, but we just have to get ready to play some games. We need to finish on a strong note and carry that momentum with us into the playoffs.”
The Lady Confederates were ready Thursday night, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first inning. It was an encouraging sign since Houston beat Caledonia 4-0 three weeks ago.
Cara Hopper set the tone with a leadoff double. Hope Burton followed with a fielder’s choice, which forced Hopper. A base hit by Ashley Langford and infield error reached Cate Sansing to load the bases.
Kelsey Obman followed with a two-run single. After the second out was made, Taylor Renth ripped a two-run double and Chelsea Goley slapped an RBI single.
“We had a couple of miscues in the first inning,” Houston coach Keith Jernigan said. “After that, we settled down and made some great defensive plays. Tonight is what the definition of a team is all about. Nobody got down. Nobody got rattled. We remained calm and fought back. That is what this team has been doing all year.”
Houston second baseman Avery Springer quickly assumed MVP role for her squad. Springer drove in five runs with three two-out, run-producing hits. The Toppers scored six of their seven runs after two were out.
“We were so close to getting out of each of those innings,” Elmore said, “The last inning was such a heartbreaker. You get the first two outs and you are poised to come in to bat with a 5-5 tie. You give credit to their players for really getting the timely hits.”
Houston rallied began as Chelsea Gates and Mary Kansas Sullivan connected for back-to-back one-out hits in the third. An infield error — Caledonia’s only one on the night — plated the first run. After a strikeout, Springer rapped a two-run single.
Hopper bounced back to strike out the side in order in the fourth. The Toppers drew closer in the fifth when a passed ball scored one run. Springer’s second hit went the opposite way and tied the game at 5-5.
“The last three weeks, we have hit the ball really well,” Jernigan said. “We now have a different mind-set at the plate. You see a team that is playing with a lot of confidence. We have really excelled in our two-out opportunities. That is how this team has really taken off.”
The Lady Confederates weren’t as lucky getting timely hits. Caledonia stranded nine, including two in the fourth and three in the fifth.
“Not getting anything that inning really hurt our cause,” Elmore said. “They had come all the way back, and you knew they were going to. After that, we had a chance to answer and we certainly had the player (Hopper) we wanted up there. She hits a deep fly ball and they make a great play.”
After that last flirtation with the lead, Houston pitcher Haley Gravat retired the side in order in the sixth and got the first two outs in the seventh before a single by Renth kept Caledonia alive.
Hopper retired the first two in order in the top of the seventh before Gravat connected for a two-out hit. Audi Dendy then drew a walk before Springer smoked her two-RBI game-winner down the left-field line.
“We lost some really great players to graduation,” Jernigan said. “The thing about this team is they have accepted their roles and really grown into a team. Tonight, our pitching kept us in the game and our defense was outstanding. We made a couple of mistakes in the field but that was offset by a couple of great catches.”
Obman and Renth each multiple hits for the Lady Confederates, who had 10 hits.
Houston had eight hits. Sullivan and Springer had multiple hits for the Toppers, who had eight hits and overcame a 10-strikeout effort by Hopper.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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