By Cort Reynolds
ADA __ The Ada High School softball team walked off visiting Vanlue 2-1 to cap a close non-conference contest and keep its win streak alive Friday evening, May 3.
With one out in the seventh and the score tied, junior catcher Natilyn McClain sliced a long fly ball over the right fielder’s head. She legged out a triple, and when the throw skipped by the third baseman, scampered home with the winning run.
The Bulldogs improved to 14-2 overall with their ninth consecutive win. Vanlue fell to 8-6 with the defeat.
“It was a good, hard-fought game,” said third-year Ada head coach Jeff Bassitt.
Ada junior shortstop Karley Wagner recorded a very rare unassisted triple play to snuff out a potential Vanlue rally in the top of the fifth.
After the first two Wildcats singled to start the fifth, Brooks hit a low liner that Wagner snagged just before it hit the ground. Her momentum carried her to second, where she tagged the bag with her foot for the second out.
The trail runner from first base was caught between the bags on the liner, and Wagner tagged her for the third out to complete the rarest of defensive plays.
“The triple play was an awesome play,” said Bassitt.
Ada junior pitcher Jenna Bassitt struck out eight and won her 13th game against just two losses this spring.
The Bulldog girls out-hit the Wildcats, 9-3. “We hit the ball ok but didn’t get the hits with runners on,” said Bassitt.
Bassitt singled in the home first and stole her way to third base, but was stranded.
Bassitt struck out the side in the second inning, and neither team scored until the third.
Ada threatened in the second. Katie Sizemore beat out an infield single. Two outs later, Emma Lambdin lined a single up the middle. But a strikeout ended the threat.
In the top of the third, Simon lined a one-hop shot to right field, but Alainee Buxton alertly threw her out at first base. After an error and a walk, Vanlue had runners in scoring position.
But Bassitt got a called third strike to end the threat.
In the Ada third, Reese Jordan pulled a single into left field with one out. She stole second and third bases. McClain walked and Wagner hit a grounder to third base.
After the throw to first was made, Jordan took off and beat the return throw home to plate the game’s first run.
In the top of the fourth, Bassitt struck out two. Leading off the bottom of the fourth, Daicy Robinson beat out an infield single when her soft liner short-hopped the diving second baseman and spun away.
Sophie Fleming laid down a sacrifice bunt. But a hard one-hopper back to the pitcher by Bassitt was fielded nicely on a quick reaction stab for the third out.
In the Wildcat fifth, Brooks and Simon led off with singles. But then Wagner turned in the unassisted triple play to stymie the threat.
With one out in the home fifth, McClain stroked a fly to deep left field that was nearly caught before the ball popped out of the running defender’s glove. She reached second for a double.
But Ada was unable to score her after a flyout and a ground-out.
Vanlue tied it with their only run in the top of the sixth. With two outs, Phillips singled to center field. The next batter hit a grounder to shortstop, but an error on the play allowed the runner to come around and score the tying run.
Bassitt got the last out on a fly ball to Gabbie Fleming in left field.
Robinson was hit by a pitch and the courtesy runner advanced to third on a line single to center by Sophie Fleming. The freshman golfed a low inside fastball up the middle for the hit. But Bassitt popped out to shortstop to end the threat.
Bassitt set down Vanlue in order on two pop-ups and a whiff in the top of the seventh.
Then with one out, McClain hit a triple and scored on the throwing error to give Ada the win.
Bassitt struck out eight and allowed no earned runs. She added a hit and two stolen bases.
McClain led Ada with a triple and a double. She scored a run and drove in the other run. She also walked once.
Sizemore, Robinson and Buxton each had one hit. Lambdin and Fleming also laced singles. Jordan singled, stole two bases and scored a run. Wagner had one RBI.
“Our replacements played well,” said Bassitt, whose team was missing three starters. “Their pitcher kept us off balance.”
Ada (4-0 NWC) travels to Crestview (6-10, 4-1 NWC) Saturday morning to finish its suspended game from Monday. The Bulldogs led 9-2 in the fourth inning when the game was halted by rain.
With a win, Ada would stay tied with Lincolnview atop the NWC at 5-0.
123 45 6 7 R H E
Vlue 000 001 0 1 3 2
Ada 001 000 1 2 9 2
WP-Bassitt (13-2) LP-Simon
2B-McClain (A)
3B-McClain (A)
