The glow of scoring coach Cheri Ritz’s 1,000th career victory hasn’t worn off the Wayland softball team.
The Wildcats completed a very satisfying day Saturday in winning all three encounters in the Blue Chip Tournament at Byron Center. They squeaked by Midland 5-4 in the opener, turned the tables 7-5 on Grand Haven and capped off the tourney with an 11-3 triumph over Lakewood.
It was a pretty big day for junior first sacker-pitcher Carli Miklusicak. She homered in the first game, delivered a three-run round tripper in game two and then threw a complete game against Lakewood.
Wayland had to come from behind to edge Midland. The Chemics grabbed a four-run lead in the first two innings before junior pitcher Harmony Laker settled down and didn’t allow a run the rest of the way, striking out 11 batters.
Meanwhile, the ‘Cats scored once in the third and fourth, added to sixth to tie it and then Laker delivered a double scoring Madi Ludema with the game winner in the seventh.
Ludema also homered in that contest.
Game two had to be particularly pleasant for Ritz and the Wildcats because Grand Haven earlier this spring pinned a 10-0 mercy loss on them.
Again, Wayland came from behind, spotting the Buccaneers 4-0 in the first inning, but responding with a five-run rally in the third. Like Laker, Ludema on the mound settled down and yielded just one run after the first inning, walking only one and striking out eight.
Reese Veltman had two doubles, Laker added another and Kami Morse drilled a homer to complement Miklusicak’s three-run blast.
A strangely familiar comeback victory highlighted game three. Lakewood scored three times in the first two innings before Miklusicak settled down and blanked the Vikings the rest of the way, walking none and striking out seven.
Lauren Wright and Rae Stallard both had two hits and two runs batted in.
Laker drilled her third double of the day and one of Stallard’s hits was a home run.
So all three Wildcat pitchers turned in complete game winning performances.
Wayland now is 25-8 overall for the season and 10-0 in the O-K Gold Conference. It still has to play Cedar Springs, which owns a 10-2 league record and has won more than 20 times overall.
COVER PHOTO: Wildcats Izzy Johnson and Madi Ludema somehow came across this broken bat.
Good job girls way to go