The Ottawa softball team fell just short in Tuesday’s Class 3A La Salle-Peru Sectional semifinal against Dunlap at the L-P Sports Complex.

The Eagles were able to snap a tie game with a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth and held on for a 2-1 win over the Pirates.

Ottawa finished a tremendous season at 22-11, while Dunlap improved to 28-8 and will face La Salle-Peru – a 2-0 winner over East Peoria in Tuesday’s second semifinal – at 4 p.m. on Friday.

“This team, I mean, I’ve coached a lot of these girls since they were playing 10U, so to me them being at this level and being a break or two away from playing in the sectional championship game isn’t too shocking to me,” Ottawa coach Adam Lewis said, his clubs now with nine consecutive seasons with 20 or more wins. “These girls couldn’t wait to practice, and even when the season started to get towards the end, the passion and focus on getting better never faded.

“This was a very fun, very special, very competitive and very coachable group all season.”

Ottawa jumped out early as junior pitcher Addie Russell struck out the side in order in the top of the first before freshman leadoff batter Teagan Darif blasted a 1-1 pitch from Dunlap senior Sutton Centoni well over the left-field wall for a solo homer.

“You’re right, we couldn’t have drawn up a better start to the game,” Lewis said. “I thought almost all of our at-bats today were good ones. We worked the count, fouled off pitches and really made [Centoni] work for her outs.”

Dunlap was able to tie the game in the fourth when lefty Addison Reed slapped a base hit to left, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and with two outs scored on a single flared to right by Centoni.

The Eagles then took the lead for good in the sixth. Reed sliced a triple to left that was just out of the reach of diving left fielder Reese Purcell and scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Gabrielle.

Ottawa had runners in scoring position in the fourth, fifth and sixth, but was 0 for 6 in those situations.

Russell finished scattering six hits, allowing two earned runs with no walks and nine strikeouts.

Centoni, a University of Illinois signee, gave up just four hits - two to Purcell, including a double - walked four and struck out 10.

“I felt like Addie was beyond great for us,” Lewis said. “She was locked in, and I don’t think she gave up even one hard-hit ball all game. Other than maybe one or two pitches, she hit her location and she made a number of really good pitches in pressure situations.”

Ottawa will have all but recent graduates Aubrey Sullivan, Rylee Harsted and Avery Leigh back next spring.

“The best memory from this season is that this team is always having fun,” Sullivan said. “Today didn’t work out like we wanted, and it’s sad right now, but I couldn’t have asked for a better senior season playing softball. We were able to win a fourth straight regional championship, and I couldn’t be prouder to be part of this team.

“We just weren’t able to get that next hit we were hoping for.”

As much as she’ll miss the wins and competition, for Harsted it will be the moments spent with her teammates away from the field that will stick with her the most. From trips to away games to flipping the switch once game time arrived, she said this season’s team had the perfect balance of fun and focus.

“I’ll definitely miss the bus rides to games,” Harsted said. “We were always loud and really just hyping each other up. Like Aubrey said, we are always having fun, softball is what we love. But what I love best about this team is how we were able to switch gears, get ready to go and lock in when the time came.

“This year has been a blast.”

Fighting through the emotions that come with the end of a memorable season, Leigh said the bonds formed with her teammates are what she’ll cherish most about this year’s team.

“I’m just going to miss my teammates and how much fun we all had being together,” Leigh said. “This year was so much fun. I’m just really sad it had to end.”