CALEDONIA — Caledonia High School softball second baseman Makayla Taylor knows when her squad started believing it could win a state championship.
“After we won our first-round series (against Pontotoc), that changed everything,” Taylor said. “We weren’t that highly regarded, and we may have even doubted ourselves. After we won some (playoff) games, we knew we could do this and the team started believing.”
Caledonia made it halfway to a state championship by winning its fifth-straight playoff game with an 8-1 victory against West Lauderdale in the opening-game of a best-of-three third-round series.
The series continues at 5 p.m. today at West Lauderdale. If needed, Game 3 will follow approximately 30 minutes after Game 2.
“We played really well,” Caledonia coach Jonathan Jones said. “You saw a team that is really enjoying playing together. A lot of credit to assistant coaches and to the players and to all our supporters because we are all in this together. When the playoffs began, we wanted to make a serious run for Jackson. We still have a long way to go, but we are showing what type of potential this team has.”
Caledonia (15-13) continues to thrive in the playoffs with quality defense supporting the pitching of eighth-grader Carlee Dale, who allowed five hits and worked around a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning.
“Defense has been really important to our team the whole season,” Caledonia center fielder Hope Harbin said. “That is something coach really stressed during practice because he thought it was something we could be good at. Really, this team is very together. We like playing as a team. Each time we win the confidence grows a little bit more.”
Caledonia also has had success getting off to quick starts in the postseason. The Lady Confederates scored in the first for the fourth time in five playoff games.
Caledonia opened the game with five-straight hits. Even though, it only plated two runs and left the bases loaded, the tone had been set for another good night at home.
“Scoring first is the most important thing we can do,” Harbin said. “You can tell the other team gets down in their dugout. It takes them a little while to start that chants and to get fired back up. We always come out really ready to play. Getting those runs early are really important. It makes everybody fired up and gets the whole team involved.”
Lauren Duckworth and Cassie Obman had the run-producing hits in the first. In the third, Taylor launched a massive home run to center field to start another two-run inning.
The early lead would be enough as Dale continued to shine and the Lady Confederates only made one error.
“The biggest thing is making plays on defense,” Jones said. “I think that gets overlooked on this team. We put ourselves in a position where we don’t have to do anything out of the ordinary on defense. We just make the routine plays and we play smart. That adds up to outs and gives us a chance almost every night.”
The Lady Confederates blew it open with three runs in the sixth. Harbin, Taylor, and Duckworth had run-producing hits.
Harbin, Taylor, and Duckworth had three hits in the 14-hit attack.
Caledonia will go on the road and try to close out a playoff series for a third-straight time.
“We wish we could play every day,” Harbin said. “Right now, everybody is excited. I love this team. We are always ready for the next opportunity to play.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.