By Cort Reynolds
ADA - The homestanding Ada baseball team lost 11-3 to Columbus Grove Wednesday evening in the Northwest Conference lidlifter.
Ada dropped to 1-4 and 0-1 in the NWC with the defeat, while Grove improved to 2-3 and 1-0 with the victory.
The purple and gold led 1-0 after the first inning, but Grove took the lead with a four-run third frame. CG smacked two triples and a double to spearhead the rally.
Ada cut the deficit to 4-2 with a run in the home third. But Grove scored seven more runs over the final four innings, including four in the seventh, to pull away and win.
CG plated two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth on a bases-loaded walk to build its lead to 7-2.
In the home fifth, senior Jacob Poling singled and stole second base. A sacrifice bunt by Tyler Jameson moved him to third base, where he scored on an RBI groundout off the bat of Jacob Sutherly.
Ada put its first two batters on base in the home sixth, but a line-out double play and an infield pop-out foiled the potential rally.
CG then put the game out of reach with four runs in the top of the seventh.
Grove out-hit Ada 13-8 in the contest.
123 456 7 R H E
CG 004 210 4 11 13 2
Ada 101 010 0 3 8 2
WP-Birnesser LP-Phipps
Ada visits winless Bluffton (0-6) Monday, April 12 in a Northwest Conference battle.