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BURR OAK — The Cassopolis girls’ softball team battled Burr Oak to the wire before falling 9-8 in the finals of the Bobcats’ Tournament Saturday.

Four teams were originally scheduled to compete in the double-elimination tournament. White Pigeon, however, elected to not compete due to a conflict with Prom activities.

DeShawn Curtis’ Rangers began the day with a 17-0 win over North Adams-Jerome before losing a 6-2 decision against Burr Oak in its second contest. Burr Oak eliminated North Adams after handing the Rams a 15-0 setback.

Curtis was encouraged by his team’s performance on a day when the Rangers played shorthanded with just nine players.

“Sure, we wanted to win this tournament, but the biggest goal today was to leave here a better team than when we arrived. I think we accomplished that,” Curtis said. “I thought we did a great job hitting the ball near the end of the second game and throughout the third game.”

Curtis was also very pleased with the pitching performance of Mackenzie Boyer, who went the distance inside the circle in all three games for Cassopolis, now 9-6 overall.

Boyer posted 10 strikeouts with just one walk while yielding 19 hits in the finals against Burr Oak. Seven of the nine runs she allowed were earned.

“Mackenzie had a phenomenal day pitching for us. I believe she only had three walks all day. I’m very proud of her control and poise she showed,” Curtis said.

Burr Oak (16-3) scored the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning. Elaine Holtom belted an RBI single that scored Makaila Whittington.

Utilizing the international tiebreaker rule, Whittington began the inning on second base and went to third on Payten Hudson’s single.

Linda Ultz reached first on a bunt single. Holtom then came through with the game-winning hit for the Bobcats.

Root had 15 strikeouts in the championship win for Burr Oak.

Burr Oak took a 1-0 lead after one frame on Root’s RBI double that scored Braylyn Hernandez.

The Bobcats scored twice in the third to make it 3-0. Holtom singled and later scored after Inez Ultz was hit by pitch with the bases loaded. Ultz eventually scored on a Rangers’ throwing error.

Cassopolis scored three in the fifth to knot things up at 3-3. Boyer’s RBI triple plated Sienna Young. Boyer scored on Ella Smith’s RBI single. Atyanna Alford’s double drove in Smith.

Boyer retired the first three Burr Oak batters in the bottom half of the frame.

Cassopolis extended its lead to 6-3 with three runs in the top of the sixth. Ryley Bowsher’s double plated Jordin Heiman and Boyer’s two-run double drove home Young and Bowsher.

Burr Oak rallied with a run in the bottom half of the sixth and two in the seventh to force extra innings. Lillky Holtom’s double scored Inez Ultz in the sixth. The Bobcats’ Elaine Holtom scored on an error in the seventh and Root’s RBI single plated Hernandez.

Cheyenne Redmond scored on a Burr Oak throwing error into left-field, putting the Rangers up 7-6 after the top of the eighth.

Burr Oak evened it up at 7-7 in the bottom half of the eighth after Lillky Holtom came around to score on Hudson’s fielder’s choice.

Cassopolis went ahead 8-7 in the top of the ninth when Redmond doubled and scored on a throwing error.

Burr Oak answered with a run in the bottom of the ninth tying the contest at 8-8. The Bobcats’ Elaine Holtom scored on a Cassopolis throwing error at first.

In the win over North Adams-Jerome, Cassopolis scored 12 times in the first and added its final five runs in the second inning. The game was called after three innings on the 15-run mercy rule.

Boyer had four strikeouts, one walk and didn’t allow a hit in the win. Janayla Franklin, Leaysheneau Willis all belted doubles for the Rangers, while Bowsher collected three hits and one RBI. Franklin, Willis and Young all finished with two hits each.

In the first game against Burr Oak, Cassopolis spotted its hosts a 6-0 lead after four innings.

Cassopolis scored both of its runs in the top of the fifth.

Burr Oak’s Root shutdown Cassopolis in the final two frames for the win. Root was the winning pitcher with 11 strikeouts.

Boyer fanned four Burr Oak hitters in the loss.

Root and Hernandez both tripled in that game for Cassopolis. Bowsher had two hits and two RBI for the Lady Rangers.

Curtis likes the position his Lady Rangers are in as they seek a solid finish in the Lakeland Conference while building momentum for the postseason.

“At a small school like ours we’re dealing with alot of girls who are dual-sport athletes with track, but we continue to get better and are building for the tournament in June,” Curtis said.

“I’m just impressed with how we came over here today and still put things together with only nine players. We had girls gone who were in travel volleyball tournaments, at Future Farmer’s of America and in the Miss Cassopolis Pageant,” Curtis added.