The Gaylord Blue Devils will take on the Dakota Cougars at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. Gaylord will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.
On Tuesday, Gaylord was able to grind out a solid victory over Traverse City Central, taking the game 7-2.
Nora Bethuy spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on three hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances.
Kennedy Wangler
| 05/06/25 @ Traverse City Central | 2 |
| 05/02/25 @ Unionville-Sebewaing | 3 |
| 04/30/25 @ Traverse City West | 1 |
On the hitting side, Kennedy Wangler was a standout: she went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two doubles. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Aubrey Jones, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.
Meanwhile, after a string of four wins, Dakota's good fortune finally ran out on Thursday. They took a 13-8 hit to the loss column at the hands of Anchor Bay.
Kiley Phelan was cooking despite her team's loss, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Jenna Higgins, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one double.
Gaylord's win was their 16th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 9-1. The road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.8 runs over those games. As for Dakota, their defeat was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 7-1 and their overall record down to 15-3.
Dakota's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Saturday. Gaylord has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 10 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Dakota, though, as they've been averaging only 3.8 strikeouts. Will Gaylord keep running through batters, or will the Cougars buck the trend?
Gaylord couldn't quite finish off Dakota in their previous meeting back in April of 2023 and fell 3-1. Will the Blue Devils have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
