LAKE MILLS — An early-season loss at Garner-Hayfield/Ventura was avenged by the Lake Mills softball team Wednesday at home.

“The difference was our defense, and we were hitting the ball hard,” said Lake Mills coach Matt Daniels. “This time we were a little more aggressive. We put the good part of the bat on the ball and drove the ball.”

The Bulldogs (14-7 overall) were spurred to an 8-1 win against the Cardinals (5-14 overall) with 10 hits through the first four innings.

Garner-Hayfield/Ventura mustered three hits and scored its only run in the final inning. The Cardinals were able to make contact with the ball, but Lake Mills’ infield held its ground and produced only one error.

“Amelia (Evenson) and Cassidy (Cox) did a good job of holding down the corners and making some throws,” Daniels said.

Emily Orban led the Bulldogs from the pitching circle with five strikeouts and no walks through seven innings.

“Our defense really helped back me up,” Emily said. “Everybody’s improving and having fun. When you’re having fun, it just makes being out there a lot better.”

Last season, Emily had a 12-9 record and pitched 143 2/3 innings. She’s a sophomore this year and has been pitching to senior Kelsey Srp behind the plate since she started on varsity.

“Kelsey and I have good chemistry,” Emily said. “We get each other, and when I’m down she picks me up.”

On Wednesday, that wasn’t needed. The Bulldogs never trailed and wasted no time getting on the board.

In the bottom of the first inning, Ema Anderson singled and stole second, and a double by Kelcey Srp advanced her to third. Sarah Orban followed with an RBI single, Srp scored on a groundout by Cede Byrnes and a throwing error led to a single for Kaitlyn Eidness that scored Sarah.

Lake Mills added another run in the second to take a 4-0 lead, and the Bulldogs poured in three more runs in the fourth.

Jewell Gasteiger led off in the fourth with a bunt for a base hit and advanced to third on a double by Cassidy Cox that bounced in front of the 210-foot sign in center field. Srp followed with a two-RBI double and scored on a single by Byrnes.

Sarah led Lake Mills at the plate with three hits and two RBIs. Anderson had three hits and an RBI, and Srp had a hit, two RBIs and a double.

“The last couple of games we’ve been doing a good job of staying aggressive at the plate,” Daniels said. “We’ve been seeing nice level swings and a lot more line drives than there were early in the year.”

Lake Mills is on a three game winning streak.

The teams met the first time on June 9 at Garner. Lake Mills took a 3-1 lead in the top of the third, but Garner-Hayfield/Ventura was able to score a run in each of the last three innings to win 5-4.

Next, the Bulldogs will play Friday at 6 p.m. at Forest City (4-18 overall).

Statistics are in the Scoreboard: June 25 post.