CALEDONIA — The Cavaliers softball team’s season came to an end on Saturday after losing the decisive final game of their Round 3 playoff series against Choctaw Central. 

Caledonia was shut out at home in Game 1, but the team rallied to a 5-0 win at Choctaw Central on Friday to force a rubber match. 

“We told them to reset, and not let one game define the series, and they didn’t,” head coach Andy Finch said. “They played hard, put the ball in play and played great defense. That’s what helped win the game, they regrouped and carried on like it was a whole new day.”

The Cavaliers lost 14-2 in Game 3 at home, struggling to contain the Warriors at the plate. It was another dominant showing by Choctaw Central’s offense, which put 12 runs past Caledonia two days earlier. 

“We started hot, started out swinging the bat, but they got the big hits and we couldn’t rebound,” Finch said. “It wasn’t down to our defense or pitching, they were just better than us at the plate, and that was the turning point of the whole series.”

Caledonia finishes the season short of the goal of challenging for a state championship, but there is plenty of pride and excitement within the team. The Cavaliers won their district in their final year in Region 3-4A before moving up to Class 5A next year, and will return all but two players from this year’s team. 

“We told them we’re proud of them,” Finch said of the final team talk after Game 3. “A 24-7 record is something to be proud of, especially with the schedule we played. A lot of the teams we played are still in the playoffs or won their division. They’re holding their heads high, we’ve got a lot of players coming back next year, moving up to 5A, and they’re excited to play. Our district is going to be tough, but we’re excited about what we’ve got coming back.”