A tough schedule can be a great confidence builder.

It has been for Ford’s softball team, which advanced to the state quarterfinals Saturday with an impressive pair of victories in the Division 1 regional hosted by Royal Oak.

The Falcons were 10-8 on May 2 after dropping a doubleheader to Port Huron Northern 10-9 and 11-0. Since then they’ve gone 19-2, including a 12-0 win against Royal Oak in the regional semifinal and a five-inning 11-0 victory against PHN in the championship game.

Senior pitcher Jenna Walters, who was outstanding in both games, feels that close wins over Dakota and defending state Division 1 champion Hudsonville was the turning point for Ford.

“After we beat Dakota and after we beat Hudsonville, which are two of the top teams in the state, we just took off,” Walters

See Full Page