In Major League baseball lore, one of the most astonishing feats was Johnny VanderMeer’s back-to-back no-hitters for the Cincinnati Reds in 1938.
That impressive feat was matched and even surpassed Tuesday night by Wayland junior softball hurler Emma Ludema, who tossed a perfect game at Kenowa Hills, just three days after she threw a no-no at Centreville.
Ludema permitted a run from Centreville Saturday and struck out 11 batters, but Tuesday night not one Knight reached first base safely. It was 15 up and 15 down in five innings of work and she fanned 10 hitters.
Perhaps lost in the hoopla over Ludema’s performance was that the Wayland softball team is just two doubleheaders away from a perfect season in the 0-K Gold Conference.
The Lady Wildcats are heavy favorites to sweep Cedar Springs Wednesday and Ottawa Hills next Monday. Right now, they are riding a 17-game winning streak and own a 20-2 overall season record.
Ludema and the ‘Cats prevailed 11-0 in the opener of the doubleheader at Kenowa Hills. They came up with one run in the first inning and four more in the second and were off and running. Grace Kincaid and Kennedy Cole drilling hits to drive in runs in the second frame.
Senior Kayla Reed, who threw a no-hitters at Sturgis Saturday, was the winning pitcher in the nightcap, which Wayland won 14-4.
Leading the Wildcats’ offensive attack were Emma Tornes, going 3-for-3. Kennedy Cole addingtwo doubles. Grace Kincaid, Emma Ludema and Rya VanderKooi each added a single.
