By Cort Reynolds
Ada sophomore Leona Dalton tossed a five-inning no-hitter to lead the Lady Bulldog softball team to a 13-1 win over visiting Waynesfield-Goshen in a non-conference contest Tuesday evening. The purple and gold evened their mark at 5-5 with the win, while the Lady Tigers dropped to 1-4 with the loss.
Dalton struck out 12 Tigers, walked one and allowed no earned runs in the run-rule shortened game to improve her mark to 5-4. Ada jumped in front with five runs in the bottom of the first inning.
The Bulldogs then added two runs in the second, and plated three more in each of the third and fourth frames. Waynesfield avoided a shutout with a run in the top of the fifth.
Cecilia Werner drew a two-out walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing error by Dalton trying to cut her down at third base. Dalton struck out seven Tigers in a row at one point, and the last eight W-G batters were retired by her on whiffs.
In the bottom of the third, Ada added to its already sizeable 7-0 lead. Brenna George singled and Alexis Ennis beat out an infield hit, followed by a throwing error that allowed George to scamper home.
Raina England beat out a bunt single and Kiersten Cortez smacked a sharp single up the middle to score Ennis. Dalton walked and England later scored on a wild pitch. Sidney Gosard flew out to deep center field to end the inning up 10-0. Dalton struck out the side in the Tiger fourth.
In the Ada fourth, Lexi White beat out an infield hit and Ennis stroked a single to center field. England golfed a single to left field, scoring White. Morgan Dirmeyer drew a walk, and Alexis Waugh hit a hard grounder back to the Tiger pitcher. She threw home and the ball got away from the catcher, leading to Ada's last two runs.
In the W-G fifth, Dalton struck out Peyton Spencer and Allison Lentz for her seventh whiff in a row. But Werner walked and came in to score on the error to spoil the shutout. Dalton then struck out the final batter to finish the no-hitter and the win.
Leadoff batter Ennis sparked the Ada offense with two hits and four runs. England had three hits, scored three runs and drove in one. Cortez collected a double and two singles, scored a run and knocked in one. George knocked out two hits, scored a run and drove in one. White added a hit and a run. Waugh plated two runs on a double. Dalton amassed a hit and a run. Gossard singled, scored once and drove in one run. England. Sophomore Aubrey Madison added a run.
Ada out-hit W-G, 14-0. The Tigers committed four errors while the Bulldogs made one miscue.
Ada (0-2 NWC) plays at Delphos Jefferson (1-8, 0-1 NWC) Thursday. (See stats below.)
