By Cort Reynolds
ADA__Playing at home, the Ada High School softball team defeated Spencerville in workmanlike fashion 7-1 in a Northwest Conference makeup game on a warm Tuesday evening, April 16.
The Bulldogs improved to 9-2 overall and 2-0 in the NWC with their second decisive league win in as many nights. Spencerville fell to 2-7 and 1-1 in the NWC after the defeat.
“It was nice to get another league win,” said third-year Ada head coach Jeff Bassitt. “We still have a lot of little things to work on,” he added.
Junior pitching ace Jenna Bassitt struck out nine and allowed just one clean hit in seven innings to win her eighth game in 10 decisions.
In the home first, Bassitt led off with a solid single to center field. Aidra Preston laid down a fine bunt, and Bassitt sped all the way to third.
An out later, Tess Griffith looped a single to right-center field to put the Bulldogs ahead 1-0.
Bassitt mowed down the first six Spencerville hitters with two whiffs. Ada tallied another run in the home second.
Reese Jordan walked, stole second and then steamed home on a ground-out by Daicy Robinson. The speedy Jordan beat the throw home with a good slide after Robinson was out at first to provide a 2-0 lead.
The Bearcats got on the board in the third with the aid of two errors. Wannemacher reached second on a catcher throwing error, then came home with two out on another miscue at third base.
A force-out grounder was fielded by shortstop Karley Wagner and relayed to Jordan to end the threat with Ada still up a run.
The Bulldogs then took command with three runs in the home half of the third. Speedy Bassitt beat out an infield single, then motored all the way to third base on a wild throw.
One out later after a Natilyn McClain bunt, she got caught in a rundown but beat the defense home easily for a 3-1 lead. With two out, Wagner sliced a hard grounder inside first base down the right field line, and advanced all the way to third for a stand-up RBI triple.
Jordan then looped a short pop-fly single to right field to plate Wagner and stretch the Ada lead to 5-1. Katie Sizemore reached on an error, but a pop-out to shortstop ended the inning.
Bassitt struck out the side in the Bearcat fourth frame. She then led off the Ada fourth by drilling a triple over the center fielder’s head that hit the base of the fence.
The speedy Bassitt then rounded third on an errant relay throw and scored easily to provide a 6-1 lead.
Preston stroked a sharp single to right field, but was stranded.
In the top of the fifth, Huebner sliced a drive to right-center field that Griffith wasn’t quite able to hold onto, reaching second base.
But Bassitt struck out Roof looking to end the frame.
Wagner led off the Ada fifth with a deep double to right-center field. After a wild pitch, Sizemore drove her home with an RBI ground-out.
Opposing pitcher Post dumped a short double into left field leading off the Bearcat sixth. Quinn Baumgartner singled to left field, but Sophie Fleming threw Post out at third.
A pop-out to Sizemore and a called strikeout kept the visitors from scoring.
Gabbie Fleming singled to center field leading off the Ada sixth. Bassitt hit a towering fly to center field that was caught. Preston’s pop-up to shallow left field was dropped when the shortstop tried to make an over the shoulder circus grab.
McClain flew into a double play in left field when the Ada baserunner strayed off the bag.
In the Bearcat seventh, King led off with a walk and reached second on a wild pitch. After a ground-out to Jordan, Bassitt struck out the last two batters to end it with a flourish.
Bassitt legged out a triple and a single, and scored three runs. Wagner drilled a double and a triple, and scored two runs with one RBI.
Jordan singled, scored a run, drove one in and drew a walk. She also stole a base.
Griffith looped an RBI single, and Preston hit a single. McClain added an RBI and scored a run.
Seniors Robinson and Sizemore each had one RBI. Fleming added another single.
The Bulldog girls out-hit the Bearcats 8-2, and capitalized on six errors.
Ada visits backyard rival Allen East (1-5, 1-0 NWC) Thursday for their third league game in four days. The Bulldogs have won four in a row.
AE’s lone win was a 20-14 slugfest over Bluffton last Saturday. The Mustangs are led by reigning NWC Player of the Year, senior catcher-shortstop Savana Brooks.
“We just have to keep getting better every day,” Bassitt noted.
SCOREBOARD
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
SVL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 2 6
ADA 1 1 3 1 1 0 x 7 8 4
WP-Bassitt (8-2) LP-Post
2B-Wagner (A), Post (S)
3B-Bassitt (A), Wagner (A)
