The Wayland High School softball team apparently has recovered from its bad day at Bailey Park a week ago.
The Lady Wildcats have won seven in a row since, the latest three in the Holland Invitational Saturday. They defeated Niles 11-0, Northville 5-3 and Grand Haven 8-3 to move their overall season record to 11-4.
Both Grand Haven and Northville have been given honorable mention accords in Division 1 in the state.
Sophomore Madi Ludema tossed a five-inning one-hit shutout at Niles in the opener, walking none and striking out four.
Hannah Rairigh and Loren Wright led the 12-hit Wayland offensive attack with three hits apiece. Wright homered and drove home four runs and Ludema helped her own cause with two RBIs. One of Rairigh’s hits was a triple.
Harmony Laker hurled game two, going the distance, yielding three runs on five hits, walking two and striking out nine.
Kaylee Lown, batting in the No. 8 slot, came through with a couple clutch RBIs and Wright, Ludema, Carli Miklusicak, Izzy Johnson, Rairigh and Reese Veltman each contributed one hit.
Defensively, the ‘Cats turned two double plays.
In the finale, Laker went 4-for-4, Miklusicak drilled a long two-run double and Wright collected three hits and two RBIs. Wright and Rairigh both delivered a triple. The Wildcats scored two runs each in the fourth and fifth innings and three in the top of the seventh to pull away from Grand Haven.
Ludema limited the Buccaneers for just three hits, walked one and struck out eight.
Wayland is still undefeated in the O-K Gold Conference standings and it will try to extend its recent winning streak Tuesday afternoon with a visit to Forest Hills Eastern.
