By Cort Reynolds
WAYNESFIELD – The visiting Ada High School softball team scored a whopping 11 runs in the sixth inning to break up a close game and beat Waynesfield-Goshen 21-8 in a wild non-conference contest Tuesday evening, April 30.
The Bulldogs improved to 13-2 overall with their eighth consecutive win. W-G fell to 6-6 after the loss.
“It wasn’t our best game,” said third-year Ada head coach Jeff Bassitt. “It was nice to get a win, but we need to clean up the small stuff.
“Natilyn McClain had a big game offensively,” he added.
Ada junior pitcher Jenna Bassitt hurled five innings to earn her 12th win in 14 decisions this spring. She struck out seven Tigers and walked one.
The Bulldog girls out-hit the Tigers, 13-8.
Ada junior Jenna Bassitt singled to left field leading off the game in the first inning, and she stole second. Junior catcher Natilyn McClain then slugged a two-run home run over the left field fence to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead.
In the Ada second, Reese Jordan singled to center field. Katie Sizemore hit into a fielder’s choice, and Daicy Robinson was hit by a pitch. Bassitt singled Sizemore home to grab a 3-0 lead.
In the third, Ada plated two more runs to extend the margin to 5-0. McClain singled and Tess Griffith walked to start the rally. Karley Wagner doubled to right field to plate one run.
Griffith came home on a passed ball to increase the lead to five. Sizemore then hit into a controversial double play where Wagner was called out at the plate on a collision with the catcher.
W-G rallied with four runs in the home half of the third. Rayne Oakes reached on an error after a dropped third strike. Bailey Waitman singled to center field, and Oakes later scored on a ground-out.
Makenna Shaw hit a two-out infield single to drive in Waitman and cut the deficit to 4-2. Tatelyn Faraglia doubled to right field to score Shaw. Liberty Glaser doubled to left to bring Faraglia home and slice the deficit to 5-4.
Teagan Kirian then grounded out to pitcher Bassitt to end the frame.
W-G then took the lead with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Oakes beat out a bunt single with one out. Arya Sneary reached on an error. Waitman singled off the pitcher, and Oakes scored on a throwing error to tie it 5-5.
Tarynn Vorhes singled to left to score Sneary and put the Tigers ahead, 6-5.
Ada scored five times in the top of the fifth to regain the lead. An error, hit batter and walk loaded the bases. Jordan singled to left to drive in the tying run.
With her keen batting eye, Sizemore forced in the go-ahead run with a walk. Alainee Buxton reached on a bunt single to the third baseman, who threw the ball away to bring in two more runs.
In the bottom of the fifth, Glaser reached on an infield error. Kirian singled her to third, and Abbi Brown lined an RBI single to left. After a walk and a strikeout, Waitman singled to plate Kirian and cut the lead to 10-8.
Bassitt escaped further damage by getting a key strikeout and a groundout.
In the Ada sixth, the Bulldogs broke the game open with the aid of multiple Tiger errors. “They hit the ball hard a couple times, but we made a lot of misplays in the sixth,” said W-G head coach Cydney Roberts.
McClain and Griffith each singled to lead off the sixth. Wagner hit a fly ball that the center fielder dropped, allowing two runs to score. Jordan reached on an error, and Sizemore was hit by a pitch. Robinson singled to left to score Wagner for a 13-8 lead.
With the bases loaded, Bassitt walked to force in a run. Aidra Preston singled to left to score another run. McClain doubled in two runs on a drive to center field to make it 17-8.
Griffith lined a shot to the fence in center field that Sneary could not corral to score another run. Wagner was hit by a pitch, and Jordan walked. Griffith came home on a passed ball.
Sizemore walked again, and Dailah Preston then grounded to first to drive in a run and extend the lead to 21-8.
“We really held with them until the sixth inning, and then we had five errors in the field,” said Roberts. “It was a tough game. Ada has a good ball team, and so do we.
“We just fell apart towards the end,” she continued. “We have to be able to make the plays. I am hoping we get to see them again in the tournament in a week,” she added.
Jordan relieved Bassitt and shut out W-G in the sixth with two strikeouts to preserve the 13-run margin.
“Reese came in and pitched a nice inning to end the game,” Bassitt noted.
Bassitt gave up two earned runs and eight hits over five frames. She struck out seven and walked one. At the plate, she compiled two hits plus two walks, two runs, one RBI and two steals.
McClain homered, doubled and drove in four runs. She also singled twice and scored five runs. Aidra Preston hit a single and scored a run.
Griffith had two hits, two walks and four runs. Wagner collected one hit, one RBI and three runs.
Jordan scored two runs with two hits and two RBI. Sizemore tallied three runs with the aid of two walks, and being hit once.
Robinson singled in two runs, and Buxton added one hit.
“We have a lot of stuff to clean up with errors and baserunning issues,” said Bassitt. “We had some miscues on throws, too. But at the end of the day, we did hit the ball well.”
Waitman led W-G with three hits, two RBI and one run.
Faraglia doubled in a run and scored once. She pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up seven hits and seven earned runs. She walked five and struck out three.
Ada hosts Vanlue (8-5) Friday, May 3 in a non-league game. “We will have to play well,” said Bassitt.
Previously scheduled games with Kenton Wednesday and at Riverdale on Thursday were canceled.
123 45 6 7 R H E
Ada 212 05 11 x 21 13 6
W-G 004 22 0 x 8 8 5
WP-Bassitt (12-2) LP-Faraglia
2B-Bassitt (A), Glaser (WG), Faraglia (WG), McClain (A), Wagner (A)
HR-McClain (A)
