Free State players were dejected after losing a 3-2 decision to Olathe Northwest on Tuesday in Olathe.

Olathe ? No tears. No crying. Nary a red eye.

Free State High’s softball team may have missed a Class 6A state berth by a mere run, but the Firebirds’ season ended on a high note nonetheless.

“We at least competed after being tromped by them in the league,” Free State coach Pam Pine said.

Olathe Northwest had indeed flattened the Firebirds in a Sunflower League doubleheader a couple of weeks ago, yet the Ravens needed a seventh-inning rally to edge Free State, 3-2, in Tuesday night’s regional final at College Boulevard Activity Center.

“Coming in,” said senior outfielder Maggie Hull, “I just wanted to give them a good game and we did that.”

Free State had advanced to the state qualifier with an 8-0 pounding of Topeka High earlier in the day. Hull, twin sister Rosie and third baseman Lexi Smith had four hits apiece against the Trojans to highlight a season-high 17-hit attack.

“I think we fed off the momentum of the Topeka game,” Rosie Hull said.

Free State started fast against O-Northwest, the only unbeaten team in Class 6A. Blanked 9-0 and 6-0 by the Ravens earlier, the Firebirds scored single runs in each of the first two innings to grab a surprising 2-0 lead.

In the first, Rosie Hull was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on Lauren Fox’s single up the middle. Maggie Hull followed with a single, but Fox and Hull were stranded at second and third after Paige Rothwell’s sacrifice.

In the second, Ali Ice singled down the left-field line and scored on Rosie Hull’s triple to right-center. But Hull was stranded at third.

“Early on, we left a lot of runners on base,” Maggie Hull said. “That was really big.”

Those three runners left in scoring position would come back to haunt the Firebirds because, after Hull’s triple, O-Northwest senior right-hander Hannah Dale settled down and allowed only one hit the rest of the way, a harmless ground single by Kelsey Leinmiller-Renick in the fourth.

Dale finished with 17 strikeouts, three times fanning the side.

“Once you get down against her,” Maggie Hull said of Dale, “she’s going to get you because she has an awesome rise ball and a change up.”

Added Rosie Hull: “I think we caught her by surprise early, then she changed her mentality.”

O-Northwest plated single runs in the second and third — one unearned — to forge a 2-2 deadlock and that’s the way it stayed until the bottom of the seventh when the Ravens bunched three straight singles with no outs for their 22nd win.

Free State finished with a 9-13 record, and with no regrets.

“When it comes to regionals, anything can happen,” Rosie Hull said. “I’m just so happy we played a good game. That’s all I wanted.”

O-Northwest 4, Lawrence High 0

Olathe Northwest advanced to its meeting with Free State as sophomore right-hander Jacinda Ramos tossed a two-hitter. Both the Lions’ hits were bunt singles by leadoff hitter Kelsey Broadwell.

Lawrence played errorless ball and soph pitcher Lauren Massey scattered nine hits.

“Our kids don’t have any reason to hang their heads,” coach Reenie Stogsdill said. “Lauren pitched well enough to win, and offensively we put the ball in play. We struck out only six times and that’s about half of what we normally do.”

The Lions lost 20 of their 21 games this season and 13 of those defeats were by shutouts, including the last five in a row. The Lions scored only 24 runs in their 21 outings.

“It’s been frustrating trying to pull competitiveness out of them,” Stogsdill said of her players, “but I’m very pleased with what they did today.”