Cassville’s first-ever Final Four softball appearance ended short of a state title, but coach Jordan Savage said the experience was one his team — and Wildcat Nation — will never forget.

“The overall experience is always going be one that you’re going to remember,” Savage said. “I’ve known different coaches that have been coaching successfully for 15, 20, 25 years and have yet to make a Final Four run. To be able to do that, and with this group is pretty special.”

Cassville (18-12) qualified for the Final Four after winning the Class 3, District 6 Tournament with a 4-0 victory over Seneca. The Lady Wildcats then traveled to Southern Boone and came away with a 2-0 win to set up a Class 3 semifinal against Doniphan. It was the first Final Four appearance for both teams.

The contest at Meador Park in Springfield was close through the early innings before the Lady Donnettes exploded in the fifth inning, ultimately pulling away for a 13-3 victory.

Cassville trailed only 1-0 through four innings behind the arm of senior Aubrey Stoufer and key defensive plays from Hadley Davis-Moore in right field and Tomi Blankenship in center. Madison Yockey doubled to open the second, and Blankenship tripled in the third, but Cassville could not find the clutch hit to even the score.

In the fifth, Doniphan broke the game open with a series of well-placed hits and defensive struggles for the Wildcats, plating 8 runs to take a commanding 9-0 lead.

“It was just one of those games where we couldn’t seem to find that out to stop the bleeding,” Savage said. “A few errors here and there really just hurt us. We just couldn’t come up with that play to stop their run.”

Savage said Doniphan’s adjustments at the plate proved costly for Cassville.

“Credit to them — they were putting the ball in play and made adjustments off of Stoufer,” he said. “They started finding more barrels, hitting the ball hard, and putting it in all the right spots. They just had that big inning.”

Despite the deficit, Cassville fought back in the bottom of the fifth. Blankenship walked to start the rally, followed by a Stoufer single and a bases-loaded hit from Yockey to bring home the first run. Bri Still followed with a two-RBI single to make it 9-3 before the Lady Donnettes changed pitchers to hold off further scoring.

Savage said the rally showed the same resilience that had defined his team all season.

“It was obviously heartbreaking for them to go through that [loss], but at the same time, I’ve said it all year long — this group is really, really resilient,” Savage said. “They push through whatever adversities are in front of them. They are able to rally together and stay together, and this is probably one of the most tight-knit groups I’ve ever been a part of.”

Cassville fell behind further in the final innings, unable to recover as Doniphan added runs in the sixth and seventh to seal the win.

Savage said the Lady Wildcats’ response after the loss reflected their heart and determination.

“I knew they were going to continue to play to the very last out, just like they had all year long,” he said. “We’ve had some games where we’ve been able to come back, and others where we stalled early, but as far as resiliency, I never had a doubt they’d come back and play the third-place game with a competitive performance.”

In the third-place contest against Macon, playing in its third Final Four as a program, Cassville battled to the end in another close game that slipped away late. The Lady Wildcats trailed early but took a 2-run lead on Bri Still inside-the-park homer in the third.

“Bri hit it well right down the right-field line,” Savage said. “The right fielder went to make a play on it, it got by her and squeaked right inside the line. Bri was able to get around, and then they had a throw to the wrong spot, and that’s when she was able to score.”

Macon went on to knot the score at 4-4 at the end of the third, and by the sixth, Cassville held a 5-4 lead.

“They started to come back, and ultimately we couldn’t find that final out yet again,” he said. “That was just one of those things where they fought through. It was a really tough game. Maco was playing really well. Whether it went our way or not, it was one of those games that capped off a pretty good year.”

The final hit that sealed Cassville’s fate came with two outs and runners in scoring position.

“They had runners on second and third,” Savage said. “We got two quick outs, then a double and a walk — there was a questionable call before that where it looked like it was gonna be strike three and got called a ball. Then, they hit one directly down the third base line to score.”

Considering one team goes 0-2 in each Final Four, Savage said the final result represented a new benchmark for Cassville softball.

“You’re always going to cherish those moments and be able to reflect on them,” Savage said. “Even if you never get back to one, at least you went to one and you experienced what it’s like to be in a state atmosphere. It’s something for the girls to always remember — that they were part of the very first one.

“I think the girls really enjoyed it, but at the same time, it’s one of those things where I told the younger group, this is what you’re gonna have to strive for now.”

Savage said the team’s success has set a new expectation for the program.

“It’s kind of a standard that you now have to live up to,” he said. “You have to work, you have to put in the time and effort to make sure this isn’t the only run Cassville ever gets. Hopefully, it becomes something we can push for every year.”