By Cort Reynolds
The streaking Ada High School softball team took two from visiting Arlington in a non-conference doubleheader to stay undefeated on a sunny but cool Saturday afternoon at the park on April 8.
The unbeaten Bulldogs improved to 7-0 overall with the twinbill sweep to author the best start in program history. The Red Devil girls dropped to 1-4 with the defeats.
Sophomore ace Jenna Bassitt pitched Ada to both victories. She hurled a one-hit shutout in the 2-0 opener, and pitched most of the 18-8 nightcap victory.
“We didn’t get the bats going in the first game, but they came alive in game two,” said Ada second-year head coach Jeff Bassitt. “We have already surpassed last year’s win total (five).”
The opener was scoreless until the fourth inning as Bassitt struck out the Red Devil side in both the first and third frames, and the Ada bats were quiet.
The Bulldogs broke on top when junior slugger Daicy Robinson reached on an error, with freshman catcher Marley Bulerin replacing as a pinch runner.
Senior Kayla Wince then smoked a triple over the center fielder’s head to plate Bulerin with the first run of the game.
CONTINUES
Bassitt whiffed two Devils in the fifth, and Wince retired the third out by snaring a hard line drive to left field.
Ada loaded the bases in the home fifth after a Bassitt single and two errors. A bunt try was foiled on a force-out at the plate. Robinson then grounded out back to pitcher Maddie Russell to keep the Ada lead to a slim 1-0 margin.
Bassitt took care of Arlington in the sixth with two strikeouts and by glovng a pop-up.
Ada junior Katie Sizemore led off the bottom of the sixth with a walk. One out later, sophomore shortstop Karley Wagner singled to right field past the first baseman.
Sophomore center fielder Tess Griffith delivered an RBI ground-out to shortstop to expand the lead to 2-0.
Bassitt struck out the first two hitters in the seventh to get within one out of a no-hitter. But Russell looped a single to right field to break up the no-hit bid.
Bassitt then recorded the last out on a pop-out to finish the shutout. She struck out 14 Red Devils, and walked only one batter in seven innings.
Bassitt also contributed two hits and two stolen bases. Wince hit a triple, singled and drove in a run. Wagner added a hit.
G1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Arl 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2
Ada 0 0 0 1 0 1 x 2 6 1
WP-Bassitt (6-0)
LP-Russell
3B-Wince (A)
In the nightcap, the Bulldog bats came alive with 24 hits and 18 runs in a 10-run rule win over six innings.
Ada busted out with six runs in the second frame. Wagner’s bunt single turned into a run when Arlington made an error. Raeya Finn reached on the third Devil error of the inning.
Bassitt grounded into a fielder’s choice to drive in the second run. Aidra Preston smacked a hard grounder past the third sacker, and the left fielder misplayed the ball as two Bulldogs scampered home for a 4-0 lead.
Sophomore Natilyn McClain beat out an infield single to plate Preston. Then with two outs, Sizemore launched a shot high off the fence in left-center field to extend the lead to 6-0.
Bassitt gave up two singles and a walk in the bottom of the second, with Ada serving as the road team in game two on its own diamond. Arlington got its first run in nine innings on the day via a fielder’s choice grounder to shortstop.
In the Ada third, Wagner drilled a leadoff double to left-center field, but was stranded.
In the Arlington half of the third, southpaw Wince relieved Bassitt in the circle. She retired the first batter looking on a strikeout. But then three walks and a single forced in a run. A third Devil run crossed home on a wild pitch to make it 6-3.
Preston led off the Bulldog fourth by lifting a long drive down the left field line that one-hopped the fence. The speedy sophomore legged out a triple on the hit.
One out later, Robinson lined an RBI single off the pitcher’s glove to put the Bulldogs ahead, 7-3. Scrappy Sizemore singled to left field. With two out, Wagner stroked a sharp two-run single to center field to stretch the lead to 9-3.
Griffith then smacked a single down the left field line to plate Wagner for a 10-3 cushion.
But Arlington battled back with five runs in their fourth inning to get back in contention. Leah Durliat led off with a single and a stolen base. After a walk, two throwing errors on the same play allowed two runs to score.
Two more walks and a wild pitch made it 10-6. A two-run single to left field cut the Ada lead to 10-8 with no one out, forcing Bassitt to re-enter as pitcher while Wince replaced her at second base.
On the next at bat, Anna Bailey hit a hard grounder to shortstop Wagner. She made a fine stop and then alertly dove to tag out the runner straying off second base in a key out to stop the Devil momentum.
Bassitt then registered a strikeout before allowing a single to right field. However, she fielded Durliat’s bunt and threw her out to Wince covering at first to end the inning.
Ada bounced back to regain control by scoring four runs in the top of the fifth. McClain’s line drive to center field was dropped with one out. Robinson singled, and the clutch Sizemore delivered a two-run double to left field for a 12-8 lead.
Wince singled home Sizemore, then continued to speed around the bases and score herself on a Red Devil error to build the lead to six.
Wagner and Griffith followed with consecutive singles to center field. But neither scored.
Bassitt struck out the side in the Devil fifth, fanning the third batter looking. In the top of the sixth, the Bulldogs again scored four runs for the third straight inning.
McClain walked and Belah Price singled to right field leading off the frame. Sizemore slugged yet another two-run double to left-center field to provide a 16-8 score.
Wince legged out an infield hit, and Bulerin delivered a two-run single to left field for an 18-8 advantage.
Bassitt struck out the side for the second inning in a row to finish with a flourish. She ended up hurling six innings with 11 whiffs, giving her 25 on the day. She gave up one run in 13 innings in the twinbill.
Sizemore led the offense with three doubles, a single and five RBI. Wagner smacked three hits and a double to drive in three runs. Preston hit a triple and a single.
Griffith knocked out three singles. McClain, Finn and Robinson each slapped two hits. Wince had two hits and struck out three in an inning-plus of relief pitching.
Ada out-hit Arlington, 24-8.
G2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Ada 0 6 0 4 4 4 x 18 24 2
Arl 0 1 2 5 0 0 x 8 8 5
WP-Bassitt (7-0)
LP-Durliat
2B- Sizemore 3 (A), Wagner (A)
3B-Preston (A)
Ada (1-0 NWC) hosts Columbus Grove (5-1, 0-0 NWC) in a key league contest Monday, April 10.
“We will have to play a complete game to beat Grove,” said Bassitt. “We have a lot of tough games next week.”
Ada plays at Riverdale (2-2) Tuesday, April 11. They then visit struggling Kalida (0-5) Wednesday, and play at NWC rival Bluffton (4-4, 0-0 NWC) Thursday.
The Bulldogs then host county rival Ridgemont (1-5) Friday, and visit Botkins (1-3) Saturday.
