LAWRENCE — Southeast of Saline’s softball team fell short of its goal, but still matched the best finish in school history.

The top-seeded Trojans could not cash in on their rare scoring opportunities and No. 3 Silver Lake did, holding off Southeast, 4-0, Saturday in the Class 3A state championship game at Arrocha Ballpark.

Southeast, making just its second championship appearance — the 2003 Trojans also took second — finished with a 26-2 record. For perennial power Silver Lake (28-4), the championship erased the frustration losses in the finals each of the past two years.

Silver Lake, which last won a championship in 2018, scored a single run in the third inning and broke it open with a three-run sixth to back the four-hit pitching of junior Riley Mohler. Junior Karlee Zurfulh was the hard-luck loser for Southeast, allowing six hits and striking out six with five walks in her seven innings.

The walks proved costly for the Trojans with four coming in the third inning, forcing in a run without a base hit. The Eagles batted around with four hits — all singles — in the three-run sixth.

Southeast had runners in scoring position in each of the first two innings and again in the fourth but could not come up with the big hit. They also had runners at second and third with one out in the fifth when Madelyn McFadden singled and advanced when Reese Heinrich bunted and was safe on an error.

After the runners moved up on a wild pitch, Kyiah Samuelson grounded to short on a ball that was hit too hard for McFadden to score, and the rally ended on a fly ball to left.

Vada Durfee had two hits, including a double, to lead Southeast. Saylor Liggatt had two of Silver Lake’s six hits.

Southeast graduates senior catcher Riley Donnelly, who was 1-for-3 at the plate in her final high school game, but the the rest of its roster is eligible to return next year.