By Cort Reynolds
The unbeaten Ada High School softball team shut out Cory-Rawson 9-0 before a big crowd on a mostly sunny home opener Thursday evening, March 30.
The Lady Bulldogs improved to 3-0 with the win, punctuated by good pitching and strong offense. The youthful Hornet girls fell to 0-1 with their-season opening loss.
“It was another good team effort,” said Ada head coach Jeff Bassitt. “The girls are playing with more confidence. They are making the plays defensively.”
Ada jumped ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning and never trailed. First sacker Aidra Preston drew a walk and came around to score when the Hornets misplayed Natilyn McClain’s bunt single.
In the bottom of the second, Ada plated four runs to seize command. Kayla Wince walked and stole second base. Karley Wagner stroked an RBI single to center field, and advanced to third when the Hornet outfielder erred fielding the hard grounder.
CONTINUES
Bulldog Tess Griffith followed by hitting a run-scoring single to left field for a 3-0 cushion.
Ada senior Raeya Finn lined out hard to left field. Jenna Bassitt then hammered a two-strike pitch over the fence in left-center field for a two-run homer that stretched the lead to 5-0.
Bassitt pitched around two singles in the top of the third. She struck out two Hornets. Freshman catcher Marley Bulerin then threw out a runner trying to steal third with a peg to Katie Sizemore, who applied the tag to end the threat.
In the home fourth, Wince beat out an infield hit to shortstop. Wagner then laid down a perfect bunt single toward third base. But C-R wriggled out of the inning without allowing a run.
Bassitt struck out the side in the fourth, two of them looking, to strand a Hornet who had singled.
Leading off the bottom of the fourth, Bassitt singled hard to center field. Preston then smoked a double over the center fielder’s head to plate Bassitt.
Junior Daicy Robinson swatted a single to left field to score Preston and make it 7-0.
Wince followed by poking a sharp single to left field. Wagner’s high fly was then misplayed in right field, and Wince raced home to extend the margin to 8-0.
Bassitt whiffed the first two Cory hitters in the fifth before Morgan McVetta drilled a double to center field. Griffith made a strong throw to second base, but McVetta narrowly beat the tag.
Bassitt got the last out on a grounder to second sacker McClain.
Bassitt smacked a double and Preston was hit by a pitch to give Ada two on with one out in the home fifth. Emma Lambdin stroked an RBI single through the hole to give Ada a 9-0 lead.
But C-R escaped a run-rule loss by turning a soft liner to second base into a double play to end the inning.
Ada pinch hitter Abby Johnston drew a walk in the home sixth.
In the top of the seventh, Bassitt issued a walk but then struck out the next two batters looking. She then got the last out on a line drive back to the circle that she snared.
The Lady Bulldogs out-hit Cory, 14-3. Winning pitcher Bassitt struck out 13 Hornets and walked two in her complete-game shutout to improve to 3-0 this season.
Bassitt also hit a home run, doubled, singled and drove in two runs. Shortstop Wagner doubled, singled twice and scored a run. Senior southpaw Wince hit two singles, stole two bases and scored a run.
Preston smashed an RBI double, while McClain had a run-scoring single. Robinson stroked an RBI single and scored a run. Griffith contributed an RBI hit, while Lambdin added a single in her lone at bat.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Ada 1 4 0 3 1 0 x 9 14 0
C-R 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2
WP-Bassitt (3-0)
LP-C. McVetta
2B- Wagner (A), Preston (A), M. McVetta (CR), Bassitt (A)
HR-Bassitt (A)
Friday’s scheduled Ada game at Waynesfield (0-1) has been postponed. W-G head coach Paul Patton suffered a heart attack in their suspended 3-3 game Tuesday vs. USV, but is recovering.
Ada is slated to play a doubleheader at rival USV (1-0) Saturday at 11 a.m.
