photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence sophomore Julia Norris throws a pitch in a 5-4 loss to Olathe North in the regional championship at the Olathe District Activity Center on Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Olathe.

Olathe — Lawrence softball’s season ended in the regional championship game against Olathe North, with the Lions losing 5-4 after a late-game comeback fell short.

“We had them where we wanted them,” Lawrence coach Mike Byrn said. “You can point to a lot of things. We were set up for a fly ball ties it and (senior third baseman) Maddy Crawford up at the plate, and we let them off the hook a bit.”

The Lions entered with the No. 6 seed in the 6A East after finishing the regular season 18-8. Their day at the Olathe District Activity Center began with a 10-0 win over Shawnee Mission North, which put the Lions in the regional championship.

Against the Bison, it took a few innings for the Lawrence bats to kick into full gear, but the Lions finished with an eight-run fifth inning to close the game.

Junior pitcher Keira Norris started in the circle for Lawrence and threw all five innings with three strikeouts and only one walk and hit allowed. The one hit, a single, came in the second at-bat of the game.

The Lions scored in the bottom of the first on an RBI single from senior first baseman Lydia Folks. Her hit was preceded by a walk from senior shortstop Harper Dye and a single from freshman second baseman Zoey Barber.

Neither team recorded a hit in the second inning, but the Lions scored a second run in the bottom of the third. Dye tripled on the first pitch, and Barber’s single in the next at-bat brought her home. Folks and senior catcher Lillian Spinelli both had hits, but the Lions left them stranded in scoring position.

The fourth inning was again hitless, but the Lions sealed the game in the bottom of the fifth. Dye singled as the leadoff hitter, and Crawford drove her home with an RBI single. Folks took a free base after being hit, and Spinelli doubled to bring both Crawford and Folks home.

Freshman Kate Neilson singled, and sophomore Julia Norris reached on an error that brought a runner home. With two outs, the Lions finished with a hit-by-pitch free base for sophomore Addie Foley, followed by a single from junior left fielder Reese Dannevik, a triple from Dye, and a single by Barber that won the game.

“We’ve scored three, four runs in innings all year long,” Byrn said. “We just piece it together, and boom.”

Against Olathe North, the Lawrence bats started cold again. The Lions didn’t get their first hit until the sixth inning when the Eagles held a 5-0 lead.

In the first inning, Dye was the only Lion to reach first base, via a walk. The next three at-bats ended in outs, sending the Eagles up to bat. There, they took a quick two-run lead after a single and a two-run home run with two outs. The Lions secured the groundout to close the inning.

Olathe East’s Addison Arbo tossed two more strikeouts and retired the Lions in order. The Eagles got a hit in the bottom of the second, but Keira Norris closed the inning with a strikeout.

Keira Norris finished with four innings pitched in the championship game and allowed five hits and one walk against two strikeouts. Julia Norris pitched the final two, allowing three hits and a walk against a strikeout. Only one of Julia Norris’ two runs allowed was earned.

Dannevik became the second Lawrence runner to reach first as she walked with one out in the top of the third. A flyout and a strikeout in the next two at-bats left her stranded.

Olathe East doubled to start the bottom of the third and hit a sacrifice fly shortly after to go up three runs. Keira Norris got the final out with a strikeout, leaving the Eagles’ lead at three.

No runs came for either team in the fourth, but after a hitless top of the fifth for the Lions, the Eagles scored twice in the bottom of the frame. The Lions kept the game at five runs with a strikeout by Julia Norris, followed by a popout to Keira Norris, who switched to second base.

Needing some runs to stay alive, the Lions brought two in at the top of the sixth. Dannevik reached on an error, followed by a walk for Dye, although Dannevik was called out on the next play as Barber reached first on an error, and Dye moved to second. Crawford doubled, which brought Dye home for the first Lawrence run of the game.

Throughout the season, Byrn has been complimentary of the team’s resiliency. That was on display on Thursday, with the Lions slowly finding ways to string hits and eventually bring in runs. The Lions found some rhythm against Arbo’s two main pitches and were able to capitalize on them.

“We weren’t chasing garbage,” Byrn said. “If you start chasing garbage, (Arbo) will make you climb the ladder, and we didn’t.”

Folks reached on an error that brought Barber home for the second run of the sixth inning. Crawford almost scored on the same error but was called out to the dismay of the Lawrence crowd. A flyout in the following at-bat kept the Lions from cutting into the lead.

The Eagles tripled in the bottom of the sixth but left the runner stranded, bringing the Lions back on the field needing three runs.

After a leadoff strikeout, the Lions mustered four straight hits. Julia Norris singled, followed by senior Payge Cain’s double. Dannevik doubled, bringing two runners home, and Dye doubled the next play, but Dannevik was tagged out while running home. A flyout to center field ended the game with the Lions one run shy of tying.

Lawrence will return a strong group next year, although the team will have a much different look with the number of seniors that are leaving. Byrn believes those seniors set a competitive culture that’ll stick around through next year, regardless of how the team looks.

“It has set the table because we have a group of underclassmen who have that same drive,” Byrn said. “We’ll be talented next year, and we’ll bring two good pitchers back. We’ve got work to do as coaches to get younger kids to settle in. We may score differently next year, but the culture is there, and we will compete.”

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence third baseman Maddy Crawford runs to first after a hit during a 10-0 win over Shawnee Mission North in the regional semifinal at the Olathe District Activity Center on Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Olathe.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence senior third baseman Maddy Crawford looks the ball in to make an out during a 5-4 loss to Olathe North in the regional championship at the Olathe District Activity Center on Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Olathe.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence senior shortstop Harper Dye smiles after crossing home plate during a 10-0 win over Shawnee Mission North in the regional semifinal at the Olathe District Activity Center on Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Olathe.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence junior pitcher Keira Norris winds up to throw in a 10-0 win over Shawnee Mission North in the regional semifinal at the Olathe District Activity Center on Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Olathe.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence freshman right fielder Lucy Juelsgaard rounds third base in a 5-4 loss to Olathe North in the regional championship at the Olathe District Activity Center on Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Olathe.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence junior left fielder Reese Dannevik hits the ball in a 10-0 win over Shawnee Mission North in the regional semifinal at the Olathe District Activity Center on Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Olathe.

photo by: David Rodish/Journal-World

Lawrence senior Payge Cain runs home in a 10-0 win over Shawnee Mission North in the regional semifinal at the Olathe District Activity Center on Thursday, May 22, 2025, in Olathe.