Serena strikes first, LeRoy strikes most in Huskers’ second straight supersectional defeat

BLOOMINGTON – Things started phenomenally Monday for the Serena Huskers in the Class 1A Illinois Wesleyan Supersectional.

Unfortunately, they ended familiarly.

For the second year in a row, the Serena softball team saw its season come to an end at Bloomington’s Inspiration Field, this time with a 9-5 loss at the hands of LeRoy in a game the Huskers led 4-0 after the top of the first inning before seeing the state-bound Panthers score nine consecutive runs to assume control.

“I wouldn’t trade [this season] for anything,” Serena coach Kelly Baker said. “It just wasn’t our day today.

“Credit [LeRoy]. They’re smart base runners, they are extremely well-coached, nice girls, competitive girls, and I wish them all the luck in the world.”

Serena’s season closes with a 27-7 record after sharing the Little Ten Conference title and winning regional and sectional titles. Last spring, the Huskers lost to Villa Grove in extra innings at the 1A Wesleyan Supersectional.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 14

Serena's Maddie Glade (6) reacts with teammate Brynley Glade after falling to LeRoy during the Class 1A Illinois Wesleyan Supersectional on Monday, June 2, 2025, in Bloomington. (Scott Anderson)

LeRoy (34-5) advances to the IHSA 1A State Finals for the second time in three years, where it will open against Dakota at 12:30 p.m. Friday at Peoria’s Louisville Slugger Sports Complex.

“The most encouraging thing of the whole day,” LeRoy coach Doug Hageman said, “when [the team] came in after the first inning, before I could ever say anything, Natalie Loy, Morgan Fleming and Laila Carr already had the girls together and already were talking.

“I added a few things, but they had already talked about settling down, that we hadn’t even had an at-bat yet. That kind of leadership, that kind of toughness, that kind of confidence has nothing to do with me. That’s all them, and I’m glad they’ve got it.”

LeRoy’s three runs in the bottom of the first inning and two more in the second – Emily Mennenga’s RBI triple tying it 4-4 and Morgan Fleming’s double immediately afterward giving the Panthers a lead they would never relinquish – quickly erased what had been a promising start for Serena.

The Huskers pushed across four runs in the top of the first with some help from two LeRoy fielding miscues. Jenna Setchell reached on the first of those errors, Lanee Cole singled, then Maddie Glade, Anna Hjerpe and Finley Brodbeck delivered back-to-back-to-back RBI hits off LeRoy starting pitcher Jacey Hageman.

“We came in very confident,” said Cole, one of Serena’s four senior starters. “We were like, ‘We’re here for the second time in two years,’ and we just felt that, whatever happens, how many teams in our area have ever gotten here twice in two years? It’s unfortunate how it ended, but we all came in confident and aggressive.

“This team, it’s just been amazing. I am so blessed to have played with them.”

Hageman (7 IP, 5 R, 1 ER, 10 H, 0 BB, 3 K) and her defense settled down from that rough start, however. The Panthers’ offense, meanwhile, added to its 5-4 advantage with three runs in the fifth to chase Serena starter Maddie Glade (4⅓ IP, 8 R, 4 ER, 6 H, 4 BB, 6 K).

LeRoy added one final insurance run in the sixth off Huskers reliever Cassie Walsh (1⅔ IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 0 K) before Serena plated one last run for the season on consecutive doubles by RayElle Brennan and Brynley Glade.

Brennan, Brynley Glade and Maddie Glade contributed two hits apiece for Serena.

Mennenga (three runs scored) and Fleming (two RBIs) each finished 3 for 4 for LeRoy in an uncharacteristically high-scoring softball supersectional that saw each team finish with 10 hits.

For the Huskers, it’s the end of a long run of success for both a senior group that has won three consecutive regional championships plus two sectional titles and for Baker, who, after 19 seasons over two stints, plans to retire as coach of the Huskers.

“We’ve got a senior-heavy class,” Baker said, “and we talked about how we didn’t want this to be their last game ever. But tradition never graduates, we’ve just seen that, and this group lived up to some high expectations.

“Now it’s up to next year’s class to keep that tradition going.”