By Cort Reynolds
The Ada High School softball team lost a 5-1 pitcher’s duel to visiting Wayne Trace in a non-league battle Tuesday evening, May 9.
The Bulldogs dropped to 16-6 after suffering their third straight defeat. WT, a regional finalist in 2022, improved to 9-11 with the win.
“Wayne Trace is a good team,” said Ada head coach Jeff Bassitt. “They played very good defense and brought their A game tonight. I thought we played well.”
Aidra Preston and Natilyn McClain both drew walks in the bottom of the first, but were not able to score.
WT broke on top with a run in the top of the second inning. A fly ball to deep center field was dropped, allowing Allison Schilt to reach second base.
After a groundout to shortstop Karley Wagner, Raider Laura Thornell singled just over the glove of second baseman Kayla Wince to drive in Schilt with the game’s first run.
Bulldog sophomore Jenna Bassitt struck out a Raider with a runner on second to end the top of the third and preserve the 1-0 margin.
Hard-throwing WT hurler Logen Blade set the Bulldogs down in order in the second and third frames.
In the top of the fourth, a Raider leadoff single was followed by a passed ball. Tianna Sinn’s single to right field doubled their lead to 2-0. A throwing error by Bassitt to first base allowed Sinn to scamper home with the third run.
First sacker Preston made a nice catch of a foul pop-up near first base, and a fly ball to Tess Griffith in center field ended the inning.
Ada got on the scoreboard with a run in the home half of the fourth. Preston coaxed a leadoff walk. With one out, Katie Sizemore smashed a run-scoring double to the gap in right-center field to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Belah Price walked, but two grounders back to pitcher Bland ended the threat as two runners were stranded.
WT answered right back in the top of the fifth. Kaitlyn Slade slashed a liner past first base that bounced all the way to the right field corner for a leadoff triple. WT then singled up the middle to stretch the Raider lead to 4-1.
After another single, Bassitt got a strikeout and ended the threat by inducing a ground-out to Wince at second.
Ada was retired in order in the home fifth.
In the top of the sixth, Doster rode a high outside fastball over the right field fence to extend the margin to 5-1.
Bulldog catcher McClain roped a one-out single to center field in the bottom of the sixth, but was stranded.
In the top of the seventh, Slade’s looping single to center was followed by a strikeout. Griffith then backhanded Schilt’s hard single to center and threw Slade out at third as Sizemore applied the tag.
Ada put together a threat in its last bat in the seventh. Wince drew a one-out walk, and an out later Marley Bulerin walked to bring up Bassitt.
She lined a shot off pitcher Bland’s right hip that ricocheted to third for an infield hit that loaded the bases.
With the bases full, Preston came up to bat as the tying run. On a 2-2 pitch she hit a hard grounder that was backhanded nicely by Blade, who threw her out at first to end the threat and the game.
Bassitt struck out six and walked one while allowing three earned runs to take the loss. She had one single in four at bats. Sizemore swatted an RBI double, while Preston walked twice.
McClain walked once and singled. Price, Wince and Bulerin all drew one walk.
Blade gave up just three hits over seven innings, and walked six with one earned run to get the win.
Slade hit a triple and a single. Doster added a solo home run.
The Raiders out-hit Ada, 8-3. The Bulldogs committed two errors, while WT made one miscue.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
WT 0 1 0 2 1 1 0 5 8 1
Ada 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 2
WP-Blade LP-Bassitt (14-5)
2B-Sizemore (A)
3B-Slade (WT)
HR-Doster (WT)
The Bulldog girls host tough St. Henry (12-11) in the Div. IV sectional finals Thursday at 5 p.m.
The Redskin girls blanked visiting Ridgemont 12-0 in the first round Monday.
The Bulldogs can tie the program single-season record for wins (17) set by the 2018 district title team with a tournament win Thursday.
