By Cort Reynolds
ADA_The Ada High School softball team made it two straight run-rule wins to start the season by rolling Lima Senior 17-6 in a non-league contest on a cold Wednesday evening, March 27, at home at War Memorial Park.
The Bulldogs improved to 2-0 with the win, while LS fell to 0-2 after the loss.
The purple and gold fell behind 3-0 early, then rallied with 17 unanswered runs to win easily.
“We settled in after the first inning,” said Ada head coach Jeff Bassitt.
LS jumped ahead early after a single opened the game. Angie Kohlholfer slugged a two-run home run over the left field wall to make it 2-0 Spartans.
The visitors pushed across another run with a third straight hit to lead 3-0 before Ada came up to bat.
The Bulldogs got one run back in the home first.
Junior leadoff hitter Jenna Bassitt reached on an error, stole a base and scored on another Spartan miscue.
Ada then took control with a six-run second inning. Seniors Katie Sizemore and Daicy Robinson started the rally with walks off Kohlholfer.
Alainee Buxton then legged out a shot in the right-center field gap for a three-run, inside the park homer that put Ada ahead for good, 4-3.
Bassitt was hit by a pitch and stole two bases. Aidra Preston walked and stole a base. Junior catcher Natilyn McClain then unloaded a home run off the scoreboard beyond the left field fence to make it 6-3.
“Natilyn really hit that one well,” said Bassitt.
Junior Tessa Griffith then sliced a triple down the right field line. The Spartans bobbled a third strike, and Griffith raced home on the throw to first to extend the lead to 7-3.
Amiyah King stroked a two-out single to right field in the Spartan third. But she strayed too far off first base and was picked off on an alert throw from McClain to Preston that ended the inning.
Ada scored two more runs in the home third. Robinson walked and courtesy pinch runner Dailah Preston stole second, then advanced to third on a wild pitch.
Buxton’s infield pop-up dropped between the pitcher and catcher for a single. She then swiped second base. Bassitt smacked an RBI ground-out to plate Preston. Buxton then raced home on a passed ball for a 9-3 edge.
Bassitt pitched around a hit batter with two strikeouts in the Spartan fourth inning.
Ada put the game out of reach with eight runs in the bottom of the fourth frame against a Spartan reliever. Griffith reached third when her high fly to left field was misplayed.
Junior Karley Wagner then slugged a two-strike pitch over the fence in left-center field to stretch the lead to 11-3.
Freshman Reese Jordan singled sharply to left field. Katie Sizemore smacked a hard grounder off the third sacker’s glove for an infield hit. Robinson was hit by a pitch, followed by a fly-out to left field.
Bassitt hammered a hard grounder up the middle that bounced off the shifting shortstop to score a run.
Buxton and McClain drew consecutive bases-loaded walks to extend the margin to 14-3. Griffith looped a two-run double to right-center for a 13-run lead.
The final Ada run scored when Kiera Cash’s grounder was booted at first base. LS finally retired the side on a line-out to third base.
Jordan relieved Bassitt to start the fifth as most of the Ada starters were replaced in the field. The first Spartan singled to center field. The next batter struck out but reached when the third strike was dropped.
Kohlholfer grounded to backup third baseman Cash, and her throw home was dropped to make it 17-4. The next Spartan hitter was retired when her short pop-up came down and hit her in the helmet as she ran up the first base line.
A passed ball let in the fifth LS run. A throwing error on a grounder to shortstop brought home the sixth Spartan score. After another Ada error, Jordan struck out a batter for out number two.
Jordan then got the last hitter on an unassisted ground-out to first sacker Emma Lambdin to preserve the 10-run rule lead.
“It was a good game to get most of the girls playing time in the field,” said Bassitt. “Alainee hit the ball well. We put two balls over the fence.”
Bassitt scored three runs and stole three bases. Griffith had two hits, scored twice, stole two bases and drove in two runs. McClain scored twice and smacked a home run.
Wagner homered, scored a run and had two RBI. Sizemore scored two runs and walked once with a single. Jordan added a run and a hit. Robinson scored once.
Buxton scored two runs and drove in a pair with a homer, and drew a walk. Bassitt struck out five in four innings while allowing three earned runs to get the victory.
SCOREBOARD
| 1 2 3 | 4 5 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| Bluffton | 0 2 0 | 0 0 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| Minster | 1 0 0 | 2 1 0 | - | 4 | 3 | 0 |
123 456 7 R H E
LSr 300 03x x 6 3 7
Ada 162 8xx x 17 9 2
WP-Bassitt (2-0)
LP-Kohlholfer
2B-Griffith (A)
3B-Grifith (A)
HR-McClain (A), Wagner (A), Buxton (A), Kohlholfer (LS)
Ada visits BVC foe Cory-Rawson (0-1) Thursday in their first road game. On Saturday, the Bulldogs entertain local arch-rival USV (0-2) in a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m.
The Rams lost 25-5 to Botkins Tuesday, and 10-3 to Riverdale Wednesday.
