Lauren Harbison powers Henry-Senachwine past defending state champs into first sectional final

ALPHA – With two outs in the fourth inning, Lauren Harbison’s bat connected with the ball, and it jumped off the bat with a loud “thwack.”

“I went, ‘Oh my gosh, I think that’s gone,” Henry-Senachwine coach Lori Stenstrom said about her reaction when Harbison hit the ball.

The ball quickly flew over the left-center field fence for a grand slam. It highlighted a seven-run fourth inning that powered the Mallards to an 8-4 victory over defending state champion Ridgewood in a Class 1A AlWood Sectional semifinal Tuesday.

“It felt great,” Harbison said about the grand slam. “We definitely needed the insurance runs.

“I needed that for sure, not only hitting-wise but pitching-wise so I could come back out there and feel a brick lift off my shoulders.”

The Mallards (24-3) advance to the title game at 4:30 p.m. Friday against the winner of Thursday’s semifinal between West Central (30-6) and Fulton (18-12).

It’s the first time Henry has advanced to a sectional final in softball, adding another accomplishment to the 2025 Mallards’ historic resume that includes winning back-to-back regional titles for the first time in school history and setting the school record for wins in a season.

“It feels great being part of such a good team and just making it so far and breaking records,” Henry freshman center fielder Bella Williams said. “I feel how close our team is [has helped us advance this far]. We really know each other well. We work so well together. It just all comes together in the end.”

Henry entered the fourth inning Tuesday leading 1-0.

Sophomore Brynna Anderson led off with a chopper to shortstop for an infield single, advanced to second and then third on wild pitches before Williams brought her in with a sacrifice fly.

Rylan Davis and Rachel Eckert walked, and Lexi Serpette reached on an infield grounder when the first baseman missed the base.

After a strikeout, Harbison blasted her grand slam.

Brooklynn Thompson restarted the rally with a single and Kaitlyn and Brynna Anderson each reached on errors to load the bases again.

Williams came up again, this time against relief pitcher Courtney Thomas after hitting her sac fly against starter Gabby Dean, and delivered a two-run double to right-center field.

“It was really just my mindset,” Williams said about the key to driving in three runs in the inning. “I had to stay focused. I was ahead, but I had to get on the ball and get in anybody I could.

“I had to adjust [to a new pitcher]. I really just focused on my timing and relied on my mechanics.”

The 8-0 lead was plenty of cushion for Harbison in the circle, although the Spartans (23-11-2) made it interesting in the seventh.

Ridgewood scored two runs on a double by Dean in the fifth and tacked on two more in the seventh and had the bases loaded with two outs and the tying run at the plate.

But Harbison recorded her 13th strikeout of the game to send the Mallards to the Sweet 16.

“I was hitting my spots,” said Harbison, who surpassed 700 career strikeouts in the win. “My changeups were working today and my riseball, as well.”

Stenstrom said the leadership of Harbison, Kaitlyn Anderson and other seniors was key during the seventh inning and to Henry’s unprecedented run.

“Kaitlyn is like an assistant coach out there,” Stenstrom said. “She just knows what needs to be done. She’s played so much. She just knows what we want. She’s determined. She leads by example, and she’s not going to ask them to do anything that she’s not going to do.”

Kaitlyn Anderson also gave the Mallards the early momentum with a towering, opposite-field solo home run in the bottom of the first inning.

“That helped a lot to score in the first inning so you know you don’t have so much stress going back out in the field,” Harbison said.

Harbison, Kaityln and Brynna Anderson and Williams all finished with multiple hits.