Henry’s historic season ends with supersectional loss to Dakota

STERLING – Henry-Senachwine found itself in uncharted territory Monday as the 2025 Mallards were the first softball team in school history to advance to the Elite Eight.

Henry had a tough start as Dakota scored two runs in the top of the first inning.

Ace Lauren Harbison and the Henry defense shut down the Indians the rest of the way, and the Mallards had several scoring chances but couldn’t push any across in a 2-0 loss in the Class 1A Sterling Supersectional.

“We were a program that’s only ever won a regional in years past, so it’s hard to ask a group of girls to go from only winning a regional in a program to going all the way to state,” Henry senior catcher Kaitlyn Anderson said. “Not that I don’t think we were capable of doing it. I think if some of our hits went down, the tables would have turned and I’d be holding a plaque right now, but sometimes that’s just the way it happens.”

Despite the loss, it was a historic season for the Mallards as they won back-to-back regional championships for the first time in program history, won a sectional title for the first time and set a school record for wins in a season as they finished 25-4.

“It’s disappointing, but I’m proud of the kids,” Henry coach Lori Stenstrom said. “They worked hard all season. We broke records all season. So how can you not be happy with that? This game doesn’t define our season. We had a great season.”

The Indians (24-5), who advance to play LeRoy (34-5) in the state semifinals Friday, did all their damage in the first inning.

With one out, No. 2 hitter Autumn Kinney smacked a triple to deep left field. Finley Banks was hit by a pitch and moved to second on defensive indifference.

Harbison struck out the next batter, but Hailey Kerchner then went the opposite way for a two-run double into right-center field.

“We had a rough first inning, and that cost us,” Anderson said. “We’re not a team that’s always in the supersectional, so we did probably struggle a little bit with understanding the pressure that was on. It just took a minute to navigate that, but once we did, we got it under control.”

After the first inning, Harbison was perfect through the next three before stranding runners in scoring position in each of the final three innings.

Harbison allowed six hits while striking out 10 batters, walking none and hitting one.

The Mallards had a few scoring opportunities against Dakota pitcher AJ Howarth.

Harbison led off the bottom of the first inning with a double to deep left field and moved to third on a wild pitch, but the next three batters were retired.

Bella Williams led off the second with a fly ball to left field that the outfielder seemed to lose in the sun for a double, but again the next three batters were retired.

“We swung at way too many high pitches,” Stenstrom said. “Her riseball kept getting us until about the sixth inning we finally kind of settled on that a little bit. It was maybe a little bit of nerves on that.”

The Mallards did not have a base runner in the third, fourth or fifth innings against Howarth.

“She had a lot of movement upwards, and I think we struggled staying disciplined on that pitch,” Anderson said. “She’s a good pitcher. She hit good spots and jammed us up a couple times, but I think we did good adjusting to her.”

Henry got another scoring chance in the sixth.

With two outs, Bella Thompson singled up the middle and Anderson followed with a line drive into left-center for a single to bring up her sister, Brynna.

Brynna Anderson smacked a hard line drive into left-center, but Dakota center fielder Bella Keyes was well positioned to catch it.

“We had two base runners with two outs, and Brynna had a great rip,” Kaitlyn Anderson said. “On any given day that could have fallen and it would have completely changed the game. I think it would have switched the momentum and it would have been different, but that’s just how it fell today.”