By Cort Reynolds
ADA__Playing at home, the Ada High School softball team easily defeated local rival Bluffton 11-1 in the weather-delayed Northwest Conference opener on Monday, April 15. (Photos below.)
The Bulldogs improved to 8-2 overall and 1-0 in the NWC with the win. The Pirate girls fell to 0-4 and 0-2 in the NWC after the defeat.
“It was nice to get that first conference win,” said third-year Ada head coach Jeff Bassitt. “It took a couple innings to adjust to their pitching. We hit the ball pretty hard once we got the bats going.”
Bluffton took a 1-0 edge early, but it was their lone lead. The Pirates advanced a runner to third base in the top of the first inning, but she was stranded on a strikeout by junior ace Jenna Bassitt.
Pirate Danielle Cross reached second base leading off the second frame on a throwing error off a ground ball. Reese Jordan made a nice stab of an Adanna Johnstone grounder, but her ensuing throwing error allowed Cross to cross home as Johnstone scampered to second.
Bassitt then reared back and struck out the next three batters, two of them looking, to limit the visitors to one unearned run.
Junior shortstop Karley Wagner drew a one-out walk in the Ada second. But she was doubled off first base on a line-out off the bat of Jordan.
Bassitt retired the Pirates in order in the third, capped by a strikeout.
Ada then took command with a six-run outburst in the home half of the third. Senior Katie Sizemore started the rally by stroking a line single to left field. Senior Daicy Robinson drilled a run-scoring double to left that tied it, 1-1.
Sophomore Alainee Buxton beat out a bunt single. Bassitt pulled a grounder just inside the third base bag to put Ada ahead for good, 2-1. Aidra Preston legged out a bunt single and when the catcher’s throw was dropped at first base and rolled away, Buxton and Bassitt sped home to extend the lead to 4-1.
Bulldog backstop Natilyn McClain then smoked a double off the fence in left-center field to put runners on second and third. Junior Tess Griffith tripled over the center fielder when she lost her footing to score two and stretch the lead to 6-1.
But Griffith was tagged out at home by catcher Karleigh Davis trying to score on an inside the park homer. Pirate freshman hurler Haelee Rayle got out of the frame by retiring the last two batters on a fly ball and a grounder to shortstop.
Senior Lauren Bassett singled to right field leading off the Pirate fourth. Bassitt struck out Cross, then Jordan tagged out Bassett in between bases after fielding a ground ball hit by Johnstone. A fly ball to left fielder Dailah Preston ended the frame.
Ada plated three runs in the bottom of the fourth to put the game out of reach. Sizemore singled to right field after the Pirates dropped a foul pop. Robinson singled to left field.
Buxton then grounded into a force-out at third base, from shortstop Ashley Fleece to third sacker Bassett.
Bassitt slapped a single to center field, but Robinson was tagged out at home by Davis. Preston hit an RBI grounder that was misplayed to allow two runs to scurry home and provide an 8-1 lead.
McClain pulled a hard shot off a diving Fleece’s glove into left field for an RBI single and a 9-1 cushion.
Griffith flew out to left field to end the inning.
Fleece blooped a two-out infield single that dropped behind Bassitt and in between the middle infielders in the fifth. But a ground-out to third baseman Sizemore ended the Pirate threat.
Wagner singled to right field leading off the home fifth. Jordan followed with a solid single to center field, and she stole second. Wagner hurried home on a wild pitch for a 10-1 lead.
Ada was on the cusp of a run-rule win with nobody out, but Rayle retired the next two hitters while keeping Jordan at third. Emma Lambdin then pinch-hit and ripped a line drive to left field, but the shot was right at the defender, who caught it to extend the contest to the sixth inning.
With one out in the Pirate sixth, Bassitt attempted to catch a low pop-up with a headlong dive along the first base line, but came up short as it just ticked off the end of her glove into foul territory.
Cross popped up to Sizemore, who made a nice running grab to her right on the play.
Johnstone singled to left field, and a wild pitch advanced the Pirate runners to scoring position at second and third.
But Bassitt kept the Pirates off the scoreboard with a strikeout to end the threat.
In the bottom of the sixth, Ada scored a run to invoke the 10-run rule. Preston singled to center field with one out. McClain’s short high fly behind first base dropped in for a bloop double.
A ground-out to third base off the bat of freshman pinch hitter Taliana Parker drove in Preston with the game-ending run at 11-1.
The Bulldog girls out-hit the Pirates 14-3, and capitalized on six errors to score three unearned runs.
Bassitt struck out nine and walked none to earn her seventh win. She allowed no earned runs.
Rayle scattered 14 hits in 5 2/3 innings, allowing eight earned runs. She walked one and struck out one.
McClain collected two doubles, a single and scored a run with a stolen base to pace the Bulldog offense.
Bassitt had two hits, scored two runs and drove in one. Sizemore smacked two hits and tallied a run. Robinson also smacked two hits.
Wagner collected a hit, a run and a walk. Jordan stroked an RBI single.
Griffith knocked in two runs with a triple. Preston singled and scored three runs. Buxton scored twice and hit a single. Parker added an RBI.
Bassett had two singles and Fleece singled for the irate hits. Cross scored the lone run on an Ada error.
Ada entertains Spencerville (2-3, 1-0 NWC) in a makeup game Tuesday, April 16. The Bulldogs then visit backyard rival Allen East (1-4, 1-0 NWC) Thursday as they play three league games in four days.
“We have to keep working on the small things to get better,” Bassitt noted.
SCOREBOARD
123 456 7 R H E
Bluf 010 000 x 1 3 6
Ada 006 311 x 11 14 3
WP-Bassitt (7-2) LP-Rayle
2B-McClain 2 (A), Robinson (A)
3B-Griffith (A)
