By Cort Reynolds
ADA - The homestanding Ada softball team run-ruled Cory-Rawson 13-2 in a makeup non-league contest Wednesday evening in the final home game of 2021.
The Lady Bulldog record improved to 12-11 with the five-inning win. The Hornet girls fell to 0-15 with the defeat.
"We tried to get everyone playing time," said Bulldog head coach Rebecca Dicke. "We wanted to dust the rust off, and work on baserunning," she added.
Ada tallied a run in the top of the first inning and never trailed. Senior Tori Green walked, stole second and third base, then sped home on a passed ball.
Ada pitcher Leona Dalton blanked C-R in the second inning again. In the home half of the second, the Bulldogs extended their lead.
Senior shortstop Brenna George scored on a throwing error to make it 2-0. Lexi White walked and later crossed home on a wild pitch.
Morgan Dirmeyer, Green and Kiersen Cortez each walked to force in the fourth Ada run. Cory got out of the frame without more damage by inducing senior catcher Alexis Waugh to ground out to second base.
C-R got on the scoreboard in the top of the third to briefly make it a contest. Dalton struck out the leadoff batter, then made a nice barehand pickup and throw on a bunt attempt for the second out.
Madelyn Duffman lined a shot off the midsection of Dalton for an infield hit. A fly ball to center field was dropped and the runner beat the throw home.
Dalton cut Green's throw off and tried to gun down the batter at third, but threw wide to allow the second run in. Dalton retired the side on a whiff of Averie Elchert.
In the bottom of the third Dalton walked leading off, and Bulldog freshman Daicy Robinson was hit by a pitch. George pulled a run-scoring single through the hole into left field to advance the lead to 5-2.
White walked and both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Sizemore coaxed a walk to plate another run. With Dirmeyer at bat, George scampered home on a passed ball to make it 7-2.
Dirmeyer was then hit by a pitch and the Hornets made a pitching change, with Chelcie McVetta relieving starter Frankie Duncan. White stole home for an 8-2 margin.
Green slapped an infield single deep in the hole at shortstop, and another run scored to advance the margin to 9-2.
The last two batters were retired on a strikeout and a liner to first base, but not before Ada had blown it open with five runs.
In the top of the fourth, C-R strung together consecutive one-out singles to second base and right field. But Dalton reared back to strike out Mackenzie Schimmoeller and Rylei Cooper to end the threat.
Dalton led off the Ada fourth with a double to left field. Robinson stroked and RBI single to left field but was thrown out trying to go to second.
George hit a grounder to third base, and the throw to first base sailed wide. She scurried to third on the misplay and then came home on a wild pitch to put the Bulldogs on top, 11-2.
Kayla Wince reached base on another Hornet miscue. Karmen Hall was hit by a pitch and stole a base. Wince scored on a wild pitch and Dirmeyer lined out to shortstop.
Hall crossed home plate when the shortstop misplayed Green's ground ball for a 13-2 cushion. Cortez then bounced out to third to end the four-run fourth frame.
Duffman singled to right field to lead off the C-R fifth inning. McVetta smacked a single to right field that put runners on first and second with nobody out.
But Dalton bore down and struck out the next two hitters. She then retired the final batter on a grounder back to the pitcher to end the game and her Ada home career with a flourish.
Ada drew nine walks and had two batters hit to augment their offense and take advantage of the porous Hornet defense.
Dalton pitched her 21st complete game of the season to earn her 12th win. She struck out 11 Hornets and walked one, while allowing no earned runs.
Green, George and Robinson each singled for Ada, while Dalton collected the game's only extra-base hit, a double.
Bulldog seniors Green, Dalton, George, Cortez and Waugh went out with a win in their final home game.
Duffman singled twice, while Duncan, McVetta and Raegan Cooper added a single apiece for C-R.
123 456 7 R H E
C-R 002 00x x 2 5 5
Ada 135 4xx x 13 4 2
WP-Dalton (12-10) LP-Duncan
2B-Dalton (A)
Fifth seed Ada visits third seed Wayne Trace (15-9) Thursday, May 13 in Div. IV sectional final action. The winner advances to the district semifinals at Elida.
"Wayne Trace will hit the ball and play tough defense," warned Dicke. "We will have to play our best game."
The Bulldog girls (1-6 NWC) then make up a league game at last-place Spencerville (3-15, 0-5 NWC) Friday, May 14 in the regular season finale.
Ada boys nip C-R on Phipps 1-hitter
ADA - The host Ada baseball team edged non-league local foe Cory-Rawson 2-1 in a pitcher's duel Wednesday evening.
Ada improved to 6-13 with the tight win. C-R fell to 4-15 with the close defeat.
Junior Kadin Phipps fired a one-hitter to lead the Bulldogs to victory, earning his second win of the season.
C-R threatened in the fourth when a runner reached second on a throwing error, but Phipps stranded him.
Ada then broke up the scoreless battle with a pair of two-out runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Jacob Morgan singled home Spencer Wall with a hit to left field for a 1-0 lead, and moved to second on the throw home. He then scored on a single by Jacob Poling for a 2-0 lead.
C-R scored its only run in the top of the sixth frame to cut the lead to one.
Phipps retired the Hornets in order in the seventh. The first batter grounded out to third base. The next Hornet batter hit a soft liner to second baseman Poling.
The final out was recorded on a ground-out to senior shortstop Morgan, who made an accurate throw to first base.
Hornet freshman Blake Boehm took the hard-luck pitching defeat despite giving up just three hits.
Morgan had a hit, a walk, scored a run and drove in one run. Senior Poling contributed an RBI hit, while sophomore Roman Snyder added a single. Soph Wall walked and scored.
123 456 7 R H E
C-R 000 001 0 1 1 0
Ada 000 020 x 2 3 1
WP-Phipps (2nd win) LP-B. Boehm
