The Wayland varsity softball team captured its third straight Divisions 2 district championship Saturday after on its home field by taking out South Christian 9-4 in the finals.
The Wildcats defeated Allegan 15-0 in four innings in their first game of the day. South Christian advanced to the championship round by getting past Hopkins 14-6.
Harmony Laker cruised on the mound to take the victory, yielding 13 hits and four runs on one walk and five strikeouts. She helped her own cause with a couple of hits, driving in three runs.
Freshman Madi Ludema delivered a triple and a double and went 4-for-4 in the contest. Kami Morse added a double and a single and two RBIs.
Laker was sailing along with a 7-0 shutout until the sixth inning, when the Sailors pushed across three runs and they added one more in the seventh and final inning.
The victory pushed the Wildcats’ overall season record to 31-9 and vaulted them into the regional tourney next Saturday.
The Wildcats in 2018 captured their 10th straight district title, but lost it to Middleville Thornapple Kellogg the following year and Covid caused cancellation of the season in 2020. Overall the Wildcats have won 26 district titles under coach Cheri Ritz.
Wayland will take on Hamilton in the regional semifinals at 10 a.m. Saturday at Berrien Springs. Vicksburg and Edwardsburg will meet in the other semifinal at 12:30 p.m. and the finals will get under way at 2:30. Edwardsburg is coming off a startling victory over defending state champion Stevensville Lakeshore, which last year beat Wayland in the regional finals in extra innings.
