AHS softball will celebrate Senior Night on April 24

By Cort Reynolds

ADA – The Ada High School softball team blasted tough Blanchard Valley Conference rival Van Buren 10-0 on a warm and sunny Wednesday evening, April 23.

The Bulldogs out-hit the Black Knights 12-3, and they scored in four of their five innings up to bat.

Ada improved to 13-2 overall and 5-2 in the BVC with the surprisingly lopsided five-inning victory. The Bulldog girls have outscored the opposition 56-1 during their current five-game win streak, all at home.

Van Buren dropped to 6-5 overall and 4-1 in BVC play after suffering their first league loss.  

“We are hitting the ball well,” said Bulldog head coach Jeff Bassitt. “We had a lot of big hits.”

Senior catcher Natilyn McClain smashed a three-run home run, her fifth circuit blast of the season, to highlight a five-run fourth inning that blew the game open.

The Bulldog girls scored a run in the first to take the early lead. The hosts then tacked on two scores in the third, tallied five in the fourth and two in more in the fifth to invoke the 10-run rule.

Senior pitcher Jenna Bassitt roped a line drive leading off the home first. She advanced to third on a fine sacrifice bunt by freshman Emily Shanks.

“Emily laid down a good bunt to advance Jenna,” said Bassitt.

Bassitt then scored on a groundout by McClain. 

In the top of the second, Bassitt pitched around a throwing error on a bunt to keep Ada ahead 1-0 as the last batter flew out to center field, stranding Andrea Groman at third.

In the bottom of the second, senior Karley Wagner led off with a single to center. She advanced to third after a steal and wild pitch but was stranded there.

In the top of the third, junior Alainee Buxton came in and made an excellent shoestring catch of a line drive to right field. Bassitt struck out the next two hitters.

Buxton lined a single off the second baseman’s glove to lead off the home third. After a pop-out on a bunt try, Shanks sliced an RBI triple into the right-center field gap for a 2-0 lead.

Cleanup batter Tess Griffith smoked a hard single up the middle to bring in the third run.

Bassitt pitched around a second error in the top of the fourth to retire the side without a run. In the Ada fourth, Aidra Preston led off with a walk. Sophomore Reese Jordan rifled a double over the left fielder’s head.

After two strikeouts, Bassitt drilled a hard grounder double into right-center field to plate both runs and provide a 5-0 lead. Shanks walked, and McClain lofted a long three-run homer over the fence in left-center field to stretch the margin to 8-0.

Griffith singled to center, but was stranded after a pop-out.

In the VB fifth, Bassitt struck out the side sandwiched around a single by Morgan Walters.

Ada put the game out of reach with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Jordan stroked a one-out single to left, and after a groundout advanced to second. Buxton brought her home with an RBI single to make it 9-0.

Bassitt then drove a double over the center fielder’s head to score Buxton and end the game.

“We had five girls with runs batted in,” Bassitt noted. “Alainee had a nice game with two hits and a very good catch.

“It was nice to get another league win, Van Buren is a solid team. Jenna pitched a good game,” he added.

Bassitt cranked two doubles, lashed a single and drove in three runs. Shanks tripled in a run and scored twice.

Jordan doubled and singled, and scored two runs. Buxton singled twice, scored two runs and had one RBI. Griffith stroked two singles with one RBI.

Wagner singled and stole a base. Aidra Preston walked and scored a run.

Bassitt hurled five innings of shutout ball, struck out eight and walked none to win her 13th game of the spring. She allowed three hits.

Bassitt has allowed just one earned run in her last 44 innings.  

Ada (6-0 at home) hosts traditional backyard rival Allen East (2-8) Thursday, April 24 on Senior Night. Five Bulldog senior standouts will be recognized – Bassitt, Wagner, Griffith, McClain and Aidra Preston. 

The group has combined to win 53 career games so far, and counting.

AE lost 11-7 to Ridgemont Wednesday. Ada beat the Gophers 8-1 last Friday.

123 456 7 R H E

VB 000 00x x 0 3 2

Ada 102 52x x 10 12 2

WP-Bassitt (13-2) LP-Stall

2B-Bassitt 2 (A), Jordan (A)

3B-Shanks (A)

HR-McClain (A)