Photos and scoreboard below
By Cort Reynolds
HARROD__The Ada High School softball team broke open a scoreless duel with two big late innings to blank backyard rival Allen East 10-0 in a Northwest Conference contest Thursday, April 18.
The Bulldogs improved to 10-2 overall and 3-0 in the NWC with their third decisive league win this week. Ada has won five in a row.
AE fell to 1-6 overall and 1-2 in the NWC after the defeat.
“It is always a battle with Allen East because of the rivalry,” said third-year Ada head coach Jeff Bassitt, himself an AE graduate. “We started out slow on offense but started making contact around the fourth inning.”
Workhorse junior pitcher Jenna Bassitt struck out eight and gave up just three hits to win her ninth game in 11 decisions.
The game was scoreless until two out in the fifth as Bassitt and AE freshman hurler Lauren Wireman traded zeroes.
Ada then busted it open with two out in the top of the fifth frame.
Freshman Reese Jordan led off by hitting a liner that the left fielder missed off her glove, allowing her to motor into second base.
Two outs later, Alainee Buxton was hit by a pitch to turn the batting order over. On the next pitch, Bassitt lined an RBI single to left field to plate Jordan with the first run of the game.
“That was a big hit,” Bassitt agreed.
Aidra Preston then looped a single to shallow center field to score Buxton and make it 2-0. Buxton stole second, and Bassitt scampered home when the catcher’s throw caromed off the pitcher’s glove.
McClain singled to short left field to drive in Preston for a 4-0 lead. Tess Griffith singled sharply to center field, but Aubrey Young pegged out McClain with a strong throw to third baseman Taylor Nickles to end the frame.
Bassitt retired the slugging Brooks on a pop-up back to the pitcher to lead off the AE fifth. She then retired the side in order on a grounder to third and a pop-up to the circle.
Ada loaded the bases with walks in the top of the sixth. But a caught stealing at third base on a throw from Brooks and a key strikeout of Bassitt by Wireman ended the threat.
In the Mustang sixth, Bassitt struck out the leadoff batter. Madison Miller drilled a single to left field. A grounder to Katie Sizemore at third advanced the runner to second but she retired the hitter at first.
Bassitt then whiffed Young looking to end the inning.
In the seventh, Ada blew the game wide open as they batted around. Preston legged out an infield single hit off the pitcher’s glove leading off. McClain laid down a good sacrifice bunt in front of the plate.
Griffith again singled to center and yet again Young threw out a runner. Her strong one-hop toss got Preston at home as catcher Savana Brooks applied the tag. Wagner singled, and a passed ball put runners on the corners.
Jordan walked to load the bases, and Sizemore drew another walk to force in the fifth Ada run. Daicy Robinson was hit by a pitch to bring home Wagner.
Buxton stroked a single to center to give Ada a 7-0 advantage. Bassitt then lifted a high drive to deep center field. Young was tracking it but lost her footing just as she gloved it. When she fell to the ground, the ball came loose and three runs scurried home to build the margin to 10-0.
Ada loaded the bases with two more walks. But the strong-armed Brooks then picked Bassitt off third base to help keep the Bulldogs from adding on further.
Leading off the AE seventh, Aubrey Young was retired on a bunt try to third as Sizemore pounced on it and threw the speedster out at first. “Katie had a good fielding game,” Bassitt agreed. Sizemore had four key assists.
The next Mustang batter struck out to bring up the dangerous Brooks. Bassitt got ahead 0-2, but the senior catcher lined a change-up to center field for a single.
But Bassitt then ended the game with a strikeout to preserve the shutout.
Bassitt walked and stole her way to third base in the first, but was stranded. She whiffed two AE hitters in the home first.
Wagner singled hard to left in the top of the second, but Wireman struck out a pair to escape trouble. Brooks was retired on a pop-out to third leading off the AE second, and the hosts went down without event.
Ada went out in order in the third as Wireman whiffed two again. In the bottom of the third, a strikeout and two easy outs made it nine in a row retired by Bassitt to start the game.
Wireman again set the Bulldogs down one, two three in the fourth. Aaliyah Young led off the AE fourth with a single off the glove of Sizemore on a change-up to become the first Mustang baserunner.
Aubrey Young hit the ball sharply, but right to left fielder Dailah Preston for the first out. Schaefer lined into an unassisted double play to first baseman Preston.
Ada then broke the scoreless duel open with four runs in the fifth to take control and win.
Bassitt smacked two hits and drove in four runs to pace the offense. She also walked and stole a base. Aidra Preston singled two times, scored a run, drove in one and walked once. She also swiped a bag.
Grifith singled twice, scored a run and stole a base. Wagner singled in a run. Jordan scored two runs, while Sizemore and Robinson each added one RBI.
Buxton singled home a run and scored two runs. Dailah Preston added a run.
Miller, Brooks and Young collected the AE hits. Wireman struck out seven and scattered nine hits.
The Bulldog girls out-hit the Mustangs 9-3. Eight of the Ada hits came in the final three innings, with four apiece coming in the decisive fifth and seventh frames.
League-leader Ada hosts improved Delphos Jefferson (9-4, 2-1 NWC) Monday, April 22 in a key conference battle.
The Bulldogs host Fostoria (1-5) in a non-league game April 23. Ada then entertains traditional rival USV (6-3) in a makeup contest Wednesday, April 24.
SCOREBOARD
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
ADA 0 0 0 0 4 0 6 10 9 1
A E 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3
WP-Bassitt (9-2) LP-Wireman
2B-Bassitt (A)
