PEORIA ― Dakota softball came, saw and conquered, defeating Waltonville-Sesser-Valier 2-1 in the IHSA 1A state final on Saturday, June 6.
“They were so excited,” Dakota head coach Jeff Kinney said. “It’s a little surreal, just total joy and tears of happiness going on there.”
Dakota went three innings without a hit as Spartans pitcher Elyssa Schoenbaechler recorded three strikeouts in her first trip through the order. WSV took advantage in the bottom of the third with an RBI single.
However, in the final few innings, the Dakota fans and coaches got through to the players to start a comeback.
“Our coaches, they’re our biggest support system,” Dakota shortstop Finley Banks said. “They always believe in us, they’ve always been our number one supporters, so when they’re happy, we feel so proud of ourselves.”
The fourth inning provided a bases-loaded situation for Dakota, but it couldn’t capitalize with two outs. It finally broke through in the sixth, starting with a single from left fielder Dawson Lawler.
Two at-bats later, Banks sent a triple into center field, scoring Lawler and tying the game.
“I was so excited for the team,” Banks said. “We really needed a hit to stay in the game and I knew once we scored that run, we were gonna [at least] go to extra innings.”
Extras wouldn’t end up being needed as, in the top of the seventh, first baseman Hailey Kerchner grounded a ball to left field, taking advantage of an error to get to third base and another one to get home.
“Once I got that hit, I was like, ‘I’ve gotta go,’” Kerchner said. “I saw it in the air and I just kept running, and then when they threw it back to third and missed it, and I was running home, I was so happy.”
The final three outs came in quick succession, off a flyout to Lawler, a popout to third baseman Jersie Banks, and finally, a pop up that landed in the glove of pitcher AJ Howarth.
As the girls stormed the circle, emotions were running high, from the dugout to the hundreds of Dakota fans in attendance.
“I was on cloud nine,” Kinney said. “I jumped out of the dugout, I think I carried my assistant coach halfway to the circle and my kid halfway black to the plate. It was amazing.”
Finishing fourth last year, Dakota finally got its hands on that state trophy for the first time in program history, cherishing every moment it had to get there.
“We knew we wanted to come back here,” Kerchner said. “During our first state game, we were so excited that we made it to the championship game, and just the fact that we got here, it’s amazing.”
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Dakota softball rallies late for first state title, winning IHSA Class 1A
Reporting by Mark Wagner, Special to the Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mark Wagner, Special to the Rockford Register Star | USA TODAY Network
