You are here

Lady Bulldogs rally late past McComb

By Cort Reynolds

ADA - Host Ada scored five runs in the sixth inning to break a tie and win 10-5 over visiting McComb in a non-conference softball contest on a warm Tuesday evening.

 

The Lady Bulldogs improved to 14-8 with the comeback win. The contest was added to the schedule as a tune-up for the sectional final Thursday.

 

"We played better defensively as the game went on," said Ada head coach Troy Erickson. "Maddie Gossard pitched a solid game. Sidney Gossard had a big game hitting, and Maddie got some big hits, too."

 

McComb took an early 1-0 lead when Shelby Steinbrook laced a two-out solo home run in the top of the first inning. The Panthers extended the lead to 2-0 on an RBI double over the left fielder's head in the second inning.

 

But Ada plated two in the home second to tie it. Sydney Newland started the rally by getting hit by a pitch. Raina England beat out a bunt single up the first base line. Kaiti Newland then sacrifice bunted the runners to second and third.

 

Sid Gossard blooped a single to shallow center field to cut the lead to 2-1. Nicki Lehsten tied it by hitting a sharp groundout to second base that drove in the heady England.

 

In the McComb third, the Panthers led off with a line single to left. A high fly to right field was lost in the sun for another single. An Ada error on a grounder to shortstop put the visitors back on top, 3-2.

 

McComb scored again when Hannah Davidson dropped down an RBI bunt. But after a walk, Gossard escaped further damage by getting a groundout to shortstop Olivia Alexander.

 

Ada gain battled back in the home third. With two outs, Maddie Gossard grounded a hard single through the middle. Syd Newland then roped a double into the left-center field gap that scored pinch runner Tori Green on a nice slide at home.

 

Newland alertly moved up to third on the throw home, then scored the tying run on a well-placed RBI bunt single from England. "Raina put down some nice bunts," noted Erickson. "We must have bunted at least 10 times. We put a lot of pressure on their defense to be perfect."

 

In the McComb fourth, Gossard pitched around a leadoff error when Newland gunned down a would-be base stealer at second. Ada threatened in the bottom of the fourth, loading the bases on singles by Sid Gossard and Teara Coulson, and an infield error.

 

But Steinbrook wriggled out of trouble with a big strikeout, then retired slugger Maddie Gossard on a foul pop-up to the first baseman, who made a nice running play to keep the score knotted at 4-4.

 

The Panthers led off the fifth with a single to left. Lehsten then made a nice running back-handed grab of a long, high fly to right-center field off the bat of Steinbrook.

 

With two outs, Amburgey was hit by a pitch and Dishong was walked to load the bases. However, Gossard induced a hard grounder to shortstop, and Alexander made the force play unassisted at second base to end the threat and keep the game tied.

 

The Bulldogs inched ahead for the first time in the bottom of the fifth. Syd Newland legged out an infield hit to the left side. England beat out a bunt single back to the relief pitcher. An ensuing wild pitch moved both runners up a base.

 

After a pop-out, Sid Gossard grounded out, but Newland sprinted home with the tie-breaking run just ahead of the relay throw from first for a 5-4 lead.

 

In the Panther sixth, Gossard retired the first two hitters. But then Shay Hemminger unloaded a high drive over the left field fence for a solo home run that tied it, 5-5.

 

But then Ada answered by authoring the decisive big inning in the home sixth. Alexander ignited the winning rally by poking an 0-2 pitch over the southpaw hurler into center field. Coulson reached when her soft liner was mis-handled at shortstop.

 

Alexis Ennis grounded to shortstop, and the defender outraced Alexander to an unassisted force-out at third. Maddie Gossard then rifled a liner just under the glove of the diving center fielder for a double to give Ada a 6-5 lead.

 

Ennis then scampered home on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 7-5. Syd Newland bounced a topspin single through the infield into center field to make it 8-5.

 

England was hit by a pitch, followed by a pop-out to shortstop. Sid Gossard then smacked a solid hit down the left field line that caromed wildly away from the defender on a bad hop for a two-run double.

 

When the dust settled, Ada had scored five runs and led comfortably, 10-5. In the Panther seventh, Gossard set the visitors down in order. She induced two groundouts to her sister Sidney at second base, and then ended the game with a flourish on a strikeout.

 

"I mixed the lineup up with my slappers up top to get on base for Maddie and Syd," explained Erickson of his revised batting order.

 

"Raina played well at third base and Syd blocked a lot of balls well behind the plate," he added. "She had a good game defensively. Maddie pitched well, especially for not having thrown in a long time."

 

Gossard (2-0) went the distance and gave up just five hits and two earned runs on a pair of solo homers over seven innings. She struck out three and walked three. She also helped her own cause with a double and a single, with one RBI.

 

Syd Newland batted 3-3 with a double, two singles, three runs batted in and four runs scored. England also batted 3-3 with a run and an RBI. Sid Gossard batted 3-4 with a double and three RBI.

 

Coulson slapped three singles and scored a run. Alexander, Ennis and Brenna George each scored a run. Green tallied two runs off the bench.

 

Ada out-hit McComb 15-5.

123 456 7 R H E

McC 112 001 0 5 5 4

Ada 022 015 x 10 15 2

WP-M. Gossard (2-0) LP-Steinbrook

2B-S. Newland (A), S. Gossard (A), M. Gossard (A)

HR-Steinbrook (M), Hemminger (M)

 

Ada also lost 12-3 to visiting Mohawk Monday evening in a last-minute addition to the schedule. The Bulldogs led 3-2 in the fourth inning before Mohawk tallied four runs in the fifth, then added five in the sixth to win going away.

 

Second-seeded Ada (4-3 home) hosts seventh seed Continental Thursday in the Div. IV sectional final at 5 p.m. Continental rallied from a 7-0 deficit to edge visiting Kalida 8-7 in their first round sectional contest Monday night.

 

"Continental is up and down, but they can be dangerous if they are on; they have one really good player hitting reportedly in the .600s," said Erickson. "We will have to play well to win, and we want to put pressure on the defense.

 

"If we execute our small ball game, it is hard to stop. We will have to play solid ball, and just worry about playing our game."

 

The Ada/Continental victor will face the winner between Wayne Trace and Miller City in the district semifinals at Elida Tuesday, May 15 at 6:30 p.m. WT was seeded third in the 10-team district, while MC was seeded sixth.

 

The Bulldogs may add another home tune-up game Saturday if they defeat Continental.

 

Section: