By Cort Reynolds
BOTKINS–The visiting Ada High School softball team defeated Botkins in an 18-13 slugfest Saturday afternoon, April 15.
The Bulldog softball record improved to 12-1 after the non-league win. It was the sixth game in six days for Ada, which went 5-1 during the long week.
The Trojan girls dropped to 1-7 after the loss.
Ada held leads of 8-0 and 13-4 before Botkins rallied within 13-10. All 16 Bulldogs played multiple innings.
“Our opposing pitcher struggled to find the plate,” said Ada second-year head coach Jeff Bassitt. “But we built a lead and got everyone playing time.”
Ada drew 15 walks and knocked out 11 hits in the slugfest.
Sophomore Natilyn McClain hurled six innings to improve to 2-0 this season in the circle. Classmate Jenna Bassitt pitched an inning of relief, and got the final two outs to record a save.
Bassitt also dealt a strikeout with the bases loaded in relief to end a fifth-inning Botkins threat.
Aidra Preston singled and scored the first run on a hit by McClain.
In the second inning, Tess Griffith walked and a passed ball whiff allowed Belah Price to reach. Bassitt walked and stole two bases, then scored on a wild pitch.
In the Ada third, the Bulldogs pushed across five runs. Katie Sizemore and Kayla Wince walked. After a passed ball, Price walked.
Marley Bulerin walked to drive in a run. Bassitt was hit by a pitch, and Preston walked to plate two more runs. Bulerin scampered home on a wild pitch, and McClain singled to center field to plate Preston and provide an 8-0 lead.
Botkins scored four runs in the home third to stay in contention as Ada substituted liberally. Fisher doubled on a liner to left field to score Locker. Wiley scored on a wild pitch. An Ada error let in another run, as did a wild pitch.
In the top of the fourth, Ada responded by scoring five more runs. Kayla Wince beat out a bunt single, followed by a Griffith single to left. Price looped a single to center.
Bulerin was hit by a pitch, and Bassitt walked. McClain drove in two runs on a single to left field as Ada forged ahead, 13-4.
Yet Botkins plated six runs in the fifth frame to pull within 13-10. Fisher hit a one-out double, and Walters reached on an error. Holmes singled to left, followed by an Ada error to plate Walters.
Locker hit a hard grounder to third that was misplayed. A walk was followed by another error. Two hit batters forced in another run. Bassitt relieved with the bases loaded, and struck out Walters to end the threat.
In the top of the sixth, Bassitt singled and stole two bass. McClain drove her in with a groundout. Karley Wagner and Sizemore each walked. Wince drove in a run on a groundout, and Griffith drove in a run with a single.
Botkins scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to stay within 17-12. Holmes singled to center field, followed by a Hager single. Miller reached on an error.
In the Ada seventh, Bulerin lined a triple to center field and scored on a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Trojans scored on two walks and a hit batter. Bassitt came back in and recorded the last two outs to keep the final margin to five runs.
McClain collected three singles and five runs batted in to pace the offense and aid her own pitching cause.
Bassitt stole five bases with one hit, and she scored four runs. She walked three times.
Freshman Alainee Buxton singled as did Wince, who added a stolen base. Griffith contributed two singles and two steals.
Price singled, and Sizemore drew two walks. Bulerin added a single while scoring three runs. Preston hit a single and walked three times.
Fisher hit two doubles for the Trojans.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Botk 0 0 4 0 6 2 1 13 9 2
Ada 1 2 5 5 0 4 1 18 11 6
WP-McClain (2-0) LP-Miller
Save-Bassitt (1)
2B-E. Fisher 2 (B), K. Showers (B)
3B-Bulerin (A)
First-place Ada (12-1, 3-0 NWC) hosts local arch-rival Allen East (5-4, 1-0 NWC) Monday. The Mustangs were swept in a twinbill at Tinora Saturday.
“It’s a big conference game and a rivalry game,” said Bassitt. AE edged Ada 2-1 last year in Harrod, with Mustang standout catcher Savana Brooks out injured.
