By Cort Reynolds

ADA – The Ada High School softball team defeated visiting county foe Ridgemont handily 8-1 on a warm and windy Friday evening, April 18.

“It was nice to see eight different girls get hits,” said fourth-year Bulldog head coach Jeff Bassitt. “Natilyn’s homer got us off to a good start.”

Ada improved to 11-2 with the decisive victory. The Gophers fell to 2-6 after the defeat. 

The Bulldog girls out-hit Ridgemont, 11-3.

Ada took an early lead in the home first and never trailed. With two out, senior Natilyn McClain smoked a line-drive solo home run over the fence in center field to make it 1-0.

In the top of the second, the Bulldog defense flashed some good leather. Right fielder Alainee Buxton made a fine catch of a slicing drive to record the second out. Hustling catcher McClain then dove to catch a low foul pop-up to end the frame.

Karley Wagner led off the home second with a long fly that the left fielder couldn’t haul in. After a passed ball, she scampered home on a dropped third strike and ensuing throw to first base.

Dailah Preston rifled a shot off the left field wall, but was stranded on second.

Jenna Bassitt set down Ridgemont in order in the third. In the bottom of the third she led off by beating out a grounder to shortstop for an infield hit.

Bassitt swiped second and scurried home on a line-drive RBI single to left off the bat of McClain. The Gophers made two throwing errors on the play, and McClain rumbled home for a 5-0 lead. 

Tess Griffith looped a hit into right-center, but on base after two strikeouts.

Bassitt whiffed the first two hitters in the top of the fourth. The next batter fouled out to Reese Jordan at third. Jordan then led off the bottom of the fourth by drilling a double to left. But she was stranded at third despite a good sacrifice bunt by Buxton.

Bassitt made it 13 Gophers retired in a row with a 1-2-3 fifth. Emily Shanks ignited a four-run fifth by lining a double into the left-center gap, then went to third on an error. She sped home on a groundout by McClain.

Griffith roped a double into the gap, and pinch runner Sophie Fleming scored on a throwing error by the third baseman on a Wagner grounder. Jordan drove in Wagner with a sharp single to center for a 7-0 cushion.

Another Gopher throwing allowed Jordan to scamper home to make it 8-0.

Both teams were retired in order in the sixth frame.

The Gophers got on the scoreboard in their final at bat in the seventh. Bassitt struck out the first two Gopher hitters, but Kylie Shreve reached base on an error. She stole second and went to third on the throw.

A bloop single by Albrey Bailey to center field brought Shreve home to make it 8-1. Freshman Riley Hites then smacked a double off the base of the fence in center field to put runners on second and third. 

However, Bassitt stranded both by striking out the last batter.

Jordan doubled and singled, knocked in two runs and scored a run. Slugger McClain homered, singled, collected three RBI and scored two runs.

Wagner doubled and scored twice. Shanks and Bassitt each singled and scored a run. Bassitt added a steal.

Aidra Preston and Dailah Preston each doubled. Griffith hit a double and singled.

Bassitt struck out 11 to win her 11th game. She allowed three hits, no earned runs and zero walks. She has allowed just one earned run over her last 34 innings pitched. 

”The pitching was good, we kept them off balance,” said Bassitt.

Three former Ada head softball coaches were in attendance among the big crowd – Troy Erickson, Ken Jochims and Deb Miller

Weather permitting, Ada hosts Lincolnview (9-1) Saturday for a noon showdown between last season’s top two Northwest Conference squads. 

WP-Bassitt (11-2) LP-Caldwell

2B-Shanks (A), Jordan (A), Wagner (A), A. Preston (A), Griffith (A), Overly (R ), Hites (R ) , D. Preston (A)

HR-McClain (A)