NORTH MANKATO — Caledonia High School softball coach Chad Augedahl wanted to see his team make a statement with the opportunity it had over the past two days at the MSHSL Class AA state tournament.
The Warriors did that by winning twice after a quarterfinal loss left them in the consolation bracket. Caledonia completed a fifth-place performance with a 5-1 victory over Rockford at Caswell Park on Thursday.
The Warriors completed a 28-3 season with two straight victories and used a three-run sixth inning to pull away from the Rockets (24-5) in the placement game.
Third baseman Paizley Lange went 2 for 4 with two runs driven in, two runs scored and four stolen bases from the top of the batting order.
Junior Avery Augedahl pitched a complete game and struck out eight batters while limiting Rockford to two hits. She walked one and allowed one earned run.
The Warriors led 2-1 before scoring its three sixth-inning runs.
Center fielder Ashlyn Reinhart started the rally by reaching on an error, stealing second base and moving to third on a groundout. She scored on a Nora Staggemeyer bunt for a 3-1 lead.
Reinhart had two of Caledonia’s nine stolen bases in the game.
A dropped third strike and another error loaded the bases for Lange, who delivered a singled to right field that scored Ayla Lange and Vivian Kittleson for the final margin of victory.
Paizley Lange scored on a passed ball in the third inning to break a 1-1 tie.
Rockford had tied the game at 1 with a solo home un in the top of the third, but Augedahl retired the next 10 batters in a row — and struck out the side after the home run — to keep the game tied.
Caledonia returns most of its lineup for another possible run at the state tournament next season and has a record of 73-13 over the past three seasons.
