Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: St. Edmond celebrates its Class 1A state softball win on Tuesday at Rogers Park. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

As the St. Edmond softball team walked into Rogers Park Tuesday, a sense of relief and calm swept over the players.

The Gaels set up shop in their home dugout on their own field, moving into the Class 1A semifinals for first time since 2015 with a 4-2 victory over Collins-Maxwell.

Next up for St. Edmond (26-5 overall) will be top-seed Martensdale-St. Marys (29-6) Wednesday night on Channel Seeds Field at 7 p.m. The Blue Devils edged Edgewood-Colesburg, 2-1.

Josie Harvey, who went 2-for-2 while celebrating her birthday, scored the winning run in the fifth, while University of Iowa commit Mariah Myers added an insurance run later in the inning. Myers, who scored twice from the leadoff spot, also had a single and swiped two bases.

Lauren Gibb had an RBI-triple that plated Myers, drove in her fellow junior in the third to tie it at 2-all, and also stole two bases as the Gaels swiped six as a team.

Kaili Henning, the lone senior on the roster, struck out six and scattered seven hits with two walks and two earned runs allowed. Henning, who is headed to Loras College, bested Western Kentucky University recruit Erica Houge, as the state’s strikeout leader finished with just four.

“It feels amazing,” Henning said. “To do this here, on our field in front of our amazing crowd, I can’t put it into words. We have been working so hard for this and it just feels great.”

St. Edmond got on the board in the first when Gibb walked, stole second and third, and scored on a single by Henning.

“It was big for our confidence to get on the board first,” Gibb said. “Playing here really helped settle all our nerves and that just added to it.”

The Gaels, who had to rally to advance in a regional final vs. Saint Ansgar, did not commit and error on the night. They also struck out just four times against Houge, who had recorded 350 strikeouts in 173 innings entering the week.

“We worked so hard on putting the ball in play,” SEHS head coach Bill Shirbroun said. “To do that against a pitcher like her, that shows how much these girls have worked. They wanted this one and they did everything they could to win it.”

For the Spartans, Jayden Peters had two hits and drove in two while Houge helped her own cause with a pair of hits. Collins-Maxwell (27-4) will play Edgewood-Colesburg in a consolation game Wednesday at 12:45 p.m. on Dodger Field.

This is the third time St. Edmond has advanced to the final four. They also finished third in 2010.

ST. EDMOND 4,

COLLINS-MAXWELL 2

Collins-Maxwell 002 000 0 — 2 7 0

St. Edmond 101 020 x — 4 5 0

WP–Kaili Henning (16-3, 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 6 K, 2 BB). LP–Erica Houge (26-4, 6 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 4 K, 2 BB).

3B–SE: Lauren Gibb. 2B–CM: Erica Houge, Jayden Peters. RBI–CM: Jayden Peters (2); SE: Lauren Gibb. SB–CM: Emma Pasquariello, Ava Pasquariello, Hannah Kimberley; SE: Lauren Gibb (2), Myrah Lemon, Josie Harvey, Mariah Myers (2).