By Cort Reynolds
ADA - The host Ada baseball team blanked county rival Ridgemont 5-0 in a non-conference battle Friday evening.
The Bulldogs improved to 5-3 with the non-league victory, Ada's best eight-game start in over a decade.
Junior Phillip Coulson hurled a complete-game, four-hit shutout. He struck out eight, walked none and threw just 60 pitches in an efficient performance as 48 of his pitches went for strikes or were put in play.
The purple and gold scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and were never headed. The Bulldogs added two more runs in the third to build a 5-0 lead.
In the top of the seventh the Ada defense sparkled. Center fielder Zac Swaney charged in to field an apparent line-drive single on a hop. But he fired a throw to first baseman COnnor Frazier to gun down the Gopher runner at first base.
After a fly out to right field, Coulson struck out the final batter to end the game with a flourish.
Bulldog senior Austin Amburgey hit a double, two singles and scored a run to pace the 10-hit Ada offense. The Bulldog catcher also stole two bases.
Coulson aided his own cause by collecting two hits, two stolen bases, a run and one run batted in.
Senior Connor Frazier singled twice and drove in two runs. Senior Jaylin Burkhart contributed a hit, one run, an RBI and made a nice running catch deep in right field near the foul line.
Sophomore second baseman Brandon Hull singled and walked once.
Sophomore Swaney singled and scored a run.
The Bulldogs out-hit the Gophers, 10-4. Hollinger collected two of the Ridgemont hits.
Ada played error-less defense, while the Gophers made two miscues.
123 456 7 R H E
Rmnt000 000 0 0 4 2
Ada 302 000 x 5 10 0
WP-Coulson (3-0) LP-Stuck
2B-Amburgey (A)
Ada (4-0 home, 1-0 NWC) is slated to host backyard league rival Allen East Monday, April 8.
