By Cort Reynolds
The white-hot Ada High School softball team run-ruled visiting Columbus Grove 11-1 in a Northwest Conference contest Monday evening, April 10, at Ada's War Memorial Park.
Fundamental play and good baserunning, as well as strong defense and pitching, paved the way for Ada to stay undefeated.
The Ada girls improved to 8-0 overall and 2-0 in the NWC with the five-inning victory. The Grove girls fell to 5-2 and 0-1 in the NWC with the lopsided loss.
“I thought the small-ball offense got us going,” said Ada second-year head coach Jeff Bassitt. “Our baserunning was good. We put the pressure on the defense.”
Sophomore Jenna Bassitt pitched a five-inning complete game, striking out seven and walking none. She allowed three hits and no earned runs.
Bassitt also got Ada on the board in the bottom of the first inning. She doubled off the base of the fence in left field leading off. She then used her good speed and baserunning instincts to fly home on a sacrifice bunt by classmate Aidra Preston.
A similar scenario unfolded in the home third. Bassitt beat out an infield hit to shortstop, then stole second base. Preston laid down a good sacrifice bunt, and Bassitt kept running and sped home with the game’s second run on the throw to first base.
Junior slugger Daicy Robinson then singled to right field, but was stranded.
In the Grove fourth, CG pitcher Morgan Bogart led off by slicing a shot that got just past diving right fielder Belah Price for a triple. Bassitt struck out the next batter, but Ramos lifted a fly ball to medium depth center field.
Tess Griffith made a strong throw home yet it was a hair late as Bogart narrowly scored. Bassitt then struck out the next batter to keep Ada ahead, 2-1.
The purple and gold broke the game open with a five-run fourth frame. Senior Kayla Wince reached on a second baseman fielding error and stole second. One out later, Griffith struck out but the ball got away from the catcher, allowing her to reach first while Wince alertly sped home.
Price then laid down a perfect bunt for a single up the third base line. Bassitt grounded into a fielder’s choice, but Griffith took advantage of a delay at second base to race home for a 4-1 lead.
Preston then slugged a two-strike change-up over the left fielder’s head for an RBI double and a 5-1 edge.
Sophomore catcher Natilyn McClain then drilled a run-scoring single to left field to put Ada ahead by five. Robinson singled to center field and McClain beat the throw home with a nice slide for a 7-1 margin.
Carrie Ann Hefner doubled down the line in right field to lead off the CG fifth. But Preston turned a line drive to first base into a double play as she caught the shot, then threw to Wagner covering second to complete the twin killing.
Wince then snared a soft liner to second base to end the inning.
Wince led off the home fifth with a nice bunt single. Wagner followed by stroking a sharp single to center field.
Griffith lined an RBI single to center to make it 8-1.
With Raeya Finn at bat, a wild pitch allowed Wagner to scamper home with the ninth run.
Bassitt then hit a pop-up to shallow center that fell in between three defenders with a mild collision on the drop.
Bassitt stole second and then scored on another wild pitch as CG continued to unravel defensively against the Ada baserunning pressure.
McClain then ended the game early when she smoked a one-hop triple off the fence in right field to finish it off, 11-1.
Bassitt scored four runs, had two hits and two steals with one RBI.
Preston doubled in a run and scored twice. McClain amassed a triple, single and two RBI while scoring once.
Robinson collected two hits and one run batted in. Wince scored twice and had a single. Wagner stroked a hit and scored a run. Price had a hit. Griffith drove in two runs, scored one and contributed a hit and a steal.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
CG 0 0 0 1 0 x x 1 3 3
Ada 1 0 1 5 4 x x 11 11 1
WP-Bassitt (8-0)
LP-Bassitt (A), Preston (A), Hefner (CG)
3B-McClain (A), Bogart (CG)
Ada plays at Riverdale (2-2) Tuesday, April 11. They then visit struggling Kalida (0-5) Wednesday, and play at NWC rival Bluffton (5-4, 1-0 NWC) Thursday.
The Pirates won their NWC opener 5-4 at Delphos Jefferson Monday.
