By Cort Reynolds
ADA - The host Ada softball team plated nine first inning runs and cruised to a 13-1 blowout of Cory-Rawson in non-conference play on a rainy but warm Thursday evening.
The purple and gold improved to 2-1 with the lopsided win.
"Leona Dalton pitched a good game," said Ada head coach Rebecca Dicke. "All of her pitches were working well. We were able to get a lot of young players important playing experience. They have to develop confidence and be aggressive."
C-R strung together three hits in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. But the Bulldogs roared back with a huge rally in the bottom of the frame to seize control.
Raina England began the rally with one out by reaching first when her hard, one-hopper was booted by the Hornet shortstop. Sidney Gossard and Lexi Waugh then walked to load the bases.
Kiersten Cortez coaxed another walk to force in the tying run.
Brenna George drew the fourth straight walk from starter Jasmine Sterling to give Ada a 2-1 lead.
Pitcher Leona Dalton stroked a sharp single to left field that put the Bulldogs ahead 3-1. Aubrey Madison drew yet another bases-loaded base on balls to make it 4-1.
Cory brought in relief pitcher Samantha Roth, yet Lexi White dribbled an infield hit that extended the lead to 5-1. Alexis Ennis grounded into a force-out play at home, pitcher to catcher.
England blooped a pop-up that fell behind the pitcher, and two runs scampered home in the ensuing defensive confusion. Gossard reached base when her grounder was booted by the third baseman, loading the bases again.
Waugh then stroked a two-strike, two-run single to left-center field to put Ada ahead 9-1.
In the top of the second Cory put two runners on base with a walk and a dropped pop-up, but Dalton worked out of the jam by retiring Riley Garmatter on a bunt attempt.
Ada scored a run in the third and tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the fourth. George walked and Dalton dropped a double just inside the left field line to start the three-run frame.
A wild pitch plated George, and Tori Green knocked in Dalton with a groundball out. Ennis looped an infield RBI single to score Madison and make it 13-1.
In the top of the fifth, Dalton retired the first batter on a pop-out to shortstop England. She whiffed Garmatter looking on a change-up. Roth smacked a fly ball to left, but Green made a nice running grab to end the game.
Dalton gave up four hits and one earned run in the five-inning game shortened by the 10-run rule. She struck out seven and walked just one. She aided her own cause at the plate with two hits and a pair of runs batted in.
Waugh collected three RBI, singled twice, walked and scored once. England had two hits, scored three runs and added one RBI. George walked twice and scored two runs with an RBI.
Ennis added a hit, two RBI and a run scored. Alexis White had a single, a run scored and one RBI. Cortez scored a run and knocked one in.
Roth led C-R with a double and a single. She pitched 3 2/3 innings of solid relief, striking out three and allowing four earned runs. But the game was well out of reach by the time she settled in.
Both teams left five runners on base. Ada out-hit Cory 8-4 and drew seven walks.
123 456 7 R H E
C-R 100 000 0 1 4 3
Ada 901 3xx x 13 8 2
WP-Dalton (2-1) LP-Sterling
2B-Dalton (A), England (A), Born (CR), Roth (CR), Sterling (CR)
Ada (0-1 road) plays next on Tuesday, April 2 at BVC foe McComb.
"We will just take it one game at a time," said Dicke. "We are a scrappy team that plays tough."
