FALMOUTH, Mass. — It all came down to this. In a season of ups and downs, Falmouth had one final battle to make the playoffs.

After their win over Wareham on Saturday coupled with Cotuit’s loss, the Commodores faced the Kettleers on Sunday for the West division’s last postseason spot. If Falmouth won, it was in. A loss, and its season would abruptly end, all its hope snatched away in an instant.

The ‘Dores had checked numerous boxes already. Personal achievements. Thrilling victories. A playoff spot was next on the list.

“I think they already have the grind of this whole summer,” Falmouth manager Jarrod Saltalamacchia said on July 25. “It becomes worth it when you get to the playoffs. So I want that for them.”

But the Commodores couldn’t come through when it truly mattered. Falmouth (16-23-1) was eliminated from the playoffs in its 6-5, 10th-inning loss to the Kettleers (17-20-3) on Sunday. The ‘Dores’ wasted chances to pull away all game, finally ending their subpar season.

“I came to the park today expecting to win,” Saltalamacchia said postgame. “But the way we went out I’m 100% happy with because we didn't lay down, we fought till the end.”

Entering the eighth, the game was knotted at four. It was do or die.

After Jakob Schulz allowed Cotuit to tie the game in the seventh, Joe Sabbath (Rhode Island) entered to keep it at bay. He spun a 1-2-3 eighth before working around a Caden Bogenpohl ninth-inning single.

But Falmouth needed some offense to clinch the win. No one came to the rescue.

It had a chance when Justin Osterhouse reached third with one out in the eighth. But he was gunned out at home on an Antonio Morales grounder to shortstop, ending the rally. Falmouth then went quietly in the ninth.

The 10th was the last chance. A tie or loss would spell the end of the Commodores’ season. That’s where they fell apart.

Sabbath, in his third inning of work, gave it all he had. But with two outs, Sean Martinez and Ryne Farber ripped RBI singles to make it 6-4. Falmouth could only muster one run in response, stalling its late comeback attempt.

“We couldn't play for a tie. We had to play for the win,” Saltalamacchia said postgame. “So whatever we did, we said we're not leaving anything to chance.”

Falmouth’s season had been a rollercoaster until Sunday’s loss, too. The ‘Dores took time to settle in, starting the season 3-6.

But when batters like Maika Niu, Kent Schmidt and Carl Schmidt and pitchers like Kaden Echeman, Grayson Saunier and Trever Baumler found their groove, the Commodores exploded. They won eight games in 12 contests, catapulting them to the top of the division.

Still, Falmouth was fighting for a playoff spot on the last day of the regular season. That’s because everything came crashing down with two four-plus game losing streaks.

The Commodores did use all their might to claw back into contention with late wins over Hyannis, Chatham and Wareham.

But it wasn’t nearly enough.

On Sunday, Miami’s TJ Coats started on the mound after his Hurricanes teammate Jacob Dorn tossed five scoreless innings versus the Gatemen.

But he slipped up in the first. Camden Johnson singled and advanced to third before Bogenpohl drove him in with an RBI groundout.

Still, he rebounded to keep Falmouth in the game. Coats worked around Johnson reaching second and a Bogenpohl leadoff double in the second and third, respectively.

Already trailing, the ‘Dores needed to respond. After plating five runs on eight hits on Saturday, that took some time versus Cotuit.

Saltalamacchia moved Niu to first base for the first time all summer. He hoped it would energize the team seeing its best player doing everything to win. At first, it didn’t work.

Cotuit starter Ryan Buckler faced the minimum across the first two frames. In the first, he got Kent Schmidt to ground into a double play, then Jack Natili caught Osterhouse stealing after a second-inning single. Buckler navigated through the third after a slick backhanded play from Farber at shortstop ended a two-on, two-out jam.

With the ‘Dores quiet, Cotuit took advantage. It entered the fourth with six hits but just one run. That changed. After a Landon Beaver leadoff double, Luke Matthews grounded an RBI single to left to make it 2-0.

Despite his slip-ups, Coats had given Falmouth a chance. And its offense responded at the perfect time.

After Cotuit swapped Buckler for Chase Carson, Kent Schmidt and Adrian Lopez cracked infield singles. Osterhouse drove them in by destroying a two-run triple down the left field line, tying the score at two.

The ‘Dores’ surge persisted in the fifth. Kent gave them their first lead of the game by lofting an RBI pop-up double to left.

But the game continued to seesaw back and forth. The Commodores went to their bullpen, and Cotuit capitalized. With runners on first and third and no outs, Beaver ripped a game-tying single off West Virginia’s Mac Stiffler.

Falmouth responded, retaking the lead 4-3 after Lopez scored on a Nick Greaney wild pitch. But it left the bases loaded, wasting a chance to pull away.

That was its demise. Saltalamacchia turned to Schulz for the second straight game in the seventh. But after Zan Van Schlegell reached second, Beaver tied the game with an RBI single into left.

From there, after two scoreless innings, Cotuit took the lead for good in the 10th, putting Falmouth out of its misery.

The Commodores had one last chance to salvage their season on Sunday. But like it had for most of the season, Falmouth fell short.

And this time, there were no games left to bounce back.

“It’s just the way it is,” Saltalamacchia said.

Noah Nussbaum is the beat reporter for the Falmouth Commodores. You can read all of his articles on the Commodores here.