MACOMB, Ill. — Quincy Notre Dame softball was fresh off capturing its home Class 2A regional title and was looking to advance further in the postseason in its matchup against top-seeded Williamsville in the Class 2A Macomb Sectional semifinal on Tuesday.

The game was a pitching duel between the Lady Raiders ace senior Caitlin Bunte and the Bullets pitcher Izzy Nowack, but a single run for Williamsville in the second inning was the dagger in a 1-0 loss for QND.

“They put something together in one inning and really that was the only time they really did a lot,” said QND head coach Eric Orne. “We left too many people on base and we know that. It was a tremendous effort by my kids. They never gave up and they all fought through the last pitch.”

He talked about what the approach was against Williamsville.

“We wanted to come out and attack early and I thought when Alyssa Ley got on, I thought maybe we turned something over early,” said Orne. “We had an opportunity the next inning, we left couple people on.”

Even though it was a bittersweet end to the season for the Lady Raiders, Tuesday was the 11th time this season they held a team to one run or less as usual. It was another great season, especially on the defensive side.

“All year long we got that two-out hit,” said Orne. “Today we just didn’t get that two out hit.”

He spoke on the legacy this senior class left for the future of the program next season and on.

“It was a great legacy the seniors have left for the younger kids that played this year to make sure we carry on that legacy,” said Orne. “But it was one of my most enjoyable seasons coaching that I’ve ever had. I’m happy and glad to be their coach.”

QND finished the 2025 season with an overall record of 27-5, 12-1 at home, 11-3 on the road and 4-1 at neutral sites. The Lady Raiders were the No. 1 team in the West Central Conference at 9-0.

“It was just a day to day joy to be in the ball park and be around them, to just have the life experiences we were going through whether it was in the dugout or on bus rides,” said Orne. “We got to stay committed to what we’re doing, we almost started four freshmen this year. We got to replace six really good seniors, three that really started for us. We’ll get to that when the calendar hits January.”