By Cort Reynolds
ADA - The host Ada softball team dominated its Northwest Conference opener against local rival Bluffton, winning 10-2 on a raw, cold Thursday evening.
Playing for the first time in six days due to consistently inclement weather, Ada improved to 2-1 and 1-0 in the NWC with the victory. The Pirates fell to 2-1 and 0-1 in the NWC with the defeat.
"Raina England had a great night at the plate," said coach Troy Erickson. "We got contributions from everybody up and down the lineup."
Junior infielder England homered, singled twice, drove in three runs and scored three times in her career-best outing.
Freshman Leona Dalton earned her second pitching win in three decisions with a solid complete-game effort. She allowed six hits and six walks, permitting no earned runs while striking out six.
The Lady Bulldogs out-hit Bluffton 13-6 and never trailed in the game. Ada scored in the bottom of the second inning to take a 1-0 lead when England singled and scored on an error.
In the home third, Ada took control with three more runs. Maddie Gossard started the rally with a sharp one-out single up the middle.
Sydney Newland lined a double into the left-center field gap. With runners on second and third, Kaiti Newland laid down an RBI sacrifice bunt.
England then stepped up and golfed a two-run blast over the left field fence to give Ada a 4-0 cushion. "That home run really took the wind out of Bluffton's sails," noted Erickson.
In the top of the fourth, the Pirates got on the board after three innings of shutout ball hurled by Dalton. Mara Minnig singled to left field leading off. Bailey Edwards narrowly beat out a relay throw after hitting a grounder to avoid a 4-6-3 double play.
A Bekah Hoff single to right put runners on the corners, and then Edwards scored when a pickoff attempt at third went awry.
Yet Dalton wriggled out of the jam with a strikeout and by then inducing a liner off the bat of Averey Rumer to left field that Teara Coulson snared to keep the lead at 4-1.
After Ada went down in order in their fourth, Bluffton threatened again in the fifth frame. Katie Prater singled to left and advanced to second on an error.
After an intentional walk to Schaadt, Aimee Ritter popped out to England. Another walk loaded the bases. But Dalton retired Laykin Garmatter on a three-pitch strikeout to keep the margin at three.
"Leona didn't have her best stuff and I put her in some tough situations with intentional walks, but she came through," said Erickson.
In the home fifth, Ada earned some breathing room. Gossard stroked a low, line-drive double to right-center field leading off the frame. Syd Newland was issued an intentional walk and Kaiti Newland coaxed a walk to load the bases.
After two strikeouts, it appeared Bluffton might escape the threat unscathed. But then Sidney Gossard pulled a grounder through the hole just by shortstop Rumer to bring home pinch runner Nicki Lehsten and Syd Newland for a 6-1 lead.
In the Pirate sixth, Madison Fleece doubled with one out to right-center field. Rumer reached on an error, and a dropped pop-up just beyond third base filled the sacks.
Prater grounded out on a force play from shortstop Olivia Alexander to catcher Syd Newland. Another intentional walk to Schaadt with the bases full drove in a run as Erickson rolled the dice on a unique piece of strategy.
The gamble worked when Ritter struck out against Dalton to again strand three runners.
"I wasn't going to let Libby Schaadt beat us, or anybody one through four in their batting order," explained Erickson.
In the home sixth, Alexander led off by beating out a swinging bunt. Next, she hustled all the way to third on a good sacrifice bunt by Dalton.
Maddie Gosard walked and Syd Newland rifled a hard grounder just past the Pirate first sacker down the right field line to make it 7-2. Kaiti Newland walked and England lifted a fly ball to left that was dropped, bringing home the eighth Bulldog run.
Coulson grounded to shortstop, but when Rumer hesitated on where to throw, a run scored and the quick Bulldog beat the belated toss to first, which was uncovered until too late.
A hard Sid Gossard grounder to Rumer resulted in a forceout at home. Alexis Ennis then poked a single to short left field over third base to plate the final Ada run for a 10-2 bulge.
In the top of the seventh, Dalton retired the first batter on a called third strike. Sid Gossard then made a fine running catch of a foul pop-up in front of the Bluffton dugout.
Hoff popped out to Englsnd at second base, fittingly, to finish the contest on her huge offensive night.
"It was a big win for us to get in the first NWC game," said Erickson. "There are a lot of big games in the league early in the schedule. Schaadt is a pretty good pitcher, but we hit her hard.
"I am pretty pleased with the win," he added.
Senior Sydney Newland doubled twice, scored three runs and plated a run. Senior Maddie Gossard contributed two hits and scored twice. Senior Olivia Alexander scored once and had a hit.
Junior Alexis Ennis singled twice and drove in a pair of runs. Sophomore Sidney Gossard had a two-run single. Senior Teara Coulson knocked in a run and collected two hits.
Senior Lehsten added a steal and a run scored.
123 456 7 R H E
Blu 000 101 0 2 6 2
Ada 013 024 x 10 13 4
WP-Dalton (2-1) LP-Schaadt
2B-S. Newland 2 (A), M. Gossard (A), Fleece (B), Prater (B)
HR-England (A)
Ada is slated to visit non-league county rival Ridgemont (2-2) Friday. The postponed game at Hardin Northern from March 26 has been rescheduled for April 18
