By Cort Reynolds
The Ada High School varsity softball team decisively defeated visiting Spencerville 7-1 in a Northwest Conference makeup game on a hot Wednesday evening, May 11.
The Lady Bulldogs improved to 5-12 overall and 2-5 in the NWC with the win on Senior Night. The Bearcat girls fell to 5-15 overall and 0-7 in the NWC after the defeat.
"It was a good way to go out on Senior Night and get another league win," said Ada head coach Jeff Bassitt. "We had timely hitting and good pitching."
Lone Bulldog senior Morgan Dirmeyer was recognized before the game and played the first five innings in right field.
Ada freshman Jenna Bassitt earned her fifth win with a complete game seven-hitter. She struck out seven and allowed one earned run.
She pitched around three singles in the first inning with the aid of a pick-off. In the Ada first, Katie Sizemore beat out an infield single to start a two-out rally.
Daicy Robinson stroked a single to left field. Belah Price then launched a double high off the left field fence to plate Sizemore.
Bassitt struck out the side in the second inning, the last two looking. Kayla Wince grounded a single to right field with two out in the Ada second, but was stranded.
Spencerville tied it with their lone run in the third frame. Sydney LeMar walked, followed by Kat Lee's one-out single. The runners moved up to second and third base, and LeMar then scored on Quincy Baumgartner's RBI groundout to second base.
Robinson singled with two out in the Ada third but could not advance.
Bassitt recorded her fourth straight whiff to open the Bearcat fourth. Evelyn Meyer singled but was doubled off first on a line drive snared by Katie Sizemore.
Ada went down in order in the home fourth. LeMar legged out an infield hit but Bassitt reared back to strike out the next two hitters to end the inning.
Wince sliced a leadoff triple down the left field line to open the bottom of the fifth. "That was a big hit," said Bassitt.
Bassitt smoked a single to center to break the tie at 2-1. Aidra Preston laid down a sacrifice bunt and Bassitt alertly sped all the way to third.
She then scored to make it 3-1 when Robinson's grounder to shortstop was dropped at first base.
Maddy Layman singled with one out, and Jaylen Boop was hit by a change-up to build a threat in the Bearcat sixth. An error on a double steal put the tying runs in scoring position.
But Bassitt induced a pop-out to Price and a grounder back to her in the circle to preserve the two-run lead.
Ada blew the game open with four runs in the home sixth. Karley Wagner led off with a single to center. Catcher Natilyn McClain pulled a double down the left field line.
Wince stroked an RBI single to center field to provide a 4-1 lead. Bassitt singled and Preston beat out an infield chopper to make it 5-1.
Bassitt then got in a rundown and scored when the third throw bounced off her helmet while she slid into third. Another run scored when the ball bounded away for a 7-1 bulge.
In the seventh, Layman hit a soft liner into the glove of third sacker Price. LeMar bounced out, pitcher to first. Lee beat out an infield hit to third when Price made a fine diving backhand stab but was unable to throw her out.
But Bassitt ended the game with a called strikeout, her seventh whiff.
Wince swatted a triple, two singles and scored two runs with one RBI to pace the offense. Robinson stroked three singles.
Bassitt collected two hits, two RBI, two steals and one steal. Preston had a hit and a steal. Wagner also singled.
Sizemore had two hits and one run. Price and McClain each doubled.
Lee slapped three singles and Layman added two hits to lead the Bearcats.
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Ada plays at Leipsic (15-4) Thursday in Div. IV sectional final action.
"We need to play a clean game defensively to give ourselves a chance to win," said Bassitt.
Ada visits backyard rival Allen East (9-9, 2-4 NWC) in a league makeup game next Monday.
