The Wayland softball team Monday afternoon rebounded from a disappointing district semifinal victory by scoring a mercy 10-0 verdict over Hamilton to claim yet another district championship, its 18th.
The Lady Wildcats had suffered through a lackluster offensive performance Saturday morning in a 1-0 win over Middleville Thornapple Kellogg while Hamilton was enjoying an 18-3 romp in its semifinal contest with Allegan later in the day. The finals had to be postponed until Monday afternoon at Hopkins because of relentless rain showers eventually making field conditions too wet.
Senior pitcher Mallory Teunissen pitched a perfect game, striking out 17 out of the 18 batters she faced. Leading the Wildcats offensively were Sydney Urben, Hailey Houck and Morgan Teunissen. The game was shortened to six innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.
Wayland now owns a 31-2 overall season record and is ranked No. 1 in the final Michigan Softball Coaches’ Association rankings.
The Lady Wildcats will play Saturday, June 6, at Hope College, facing a very good Spring Lake squad in the regional opener at 11 a.m. The Lakers whipped Allendale 11-4 to take their district and boast of a 23-3 overall record.
If Wayland can pass that test, it may have another showdown at 4 p.m. in the regional finals with Zeeland West, which pinned a 1-0 loss on the Wildcats in the Whitehall tournament April 18. It was one of only two losses Wayland has absorbed all season. But Zeeland West must get by Forest Hills Eastern in its semifinal.
The Dux Saturday won their first district championship ever and they are sporting a 30-5 record, led by senior pitcher Morgan Engelsman, who outdueled all-state Wayland hurler Mallory Teunissen.
