By Cort Reynolds
The Ada High School baseball team authored a four-run rally in the bottom of the sixth inning, and then held on to defeat visiting Hardin County rival Kenton 5-4 in a tense non-league battle Wednesday evening, May 10.
The Bulldogs improved to 8-13 with their fourth consecutive non-league victory over a six-day span.
Kenton fell to 7-10 with the loss.
“The kids believe they are going to win when they step out on the diamond,” said Bulldog first-year head coach Toby Smith. “That is fun to see.
“They understand that if they do things right and keep competing, they will have a chance to win,” he added.
Kenton scored first with a single run in the top of the third. Anthony Hunt reached on an error and Tyson Lawrence was hit by a pitch. Grady Kleman-Beazley then singled Hunt home.
Ada senior hurler Roman Snyder then avoided further damage by getting the lats two outs sandwiched around an intentional walk.
Bulldog sophomore Levi Green led off the bottom of the fourth with a single. He then came around to score on a single by Spencer Wall. Wall stole second base, but was stranded on a strikeout and a groundout.
The Wildcats regained the lead with two runs in the top of the fifth frame. Hunt led off with a single, and Lawrence reached on an infield error.
Hunt took off to steal third and sped home on Beazley’s infield hit to make it 2-1.
Seth Leffler singled to center field, followed by two walks. A big caught stealing at third base halted some of the Wildcat momentum.
With the bases loaded, a wild pitch brought in another Kenton run to make it 3-1. But a force-out grounder from Snyder to catcher Jacob Sutherly ended the threat.
Ada went down in order with two strikeouts in the home fifth. Snyder retired Kenton one-two-three in the top of the sixth to set up the Ada rally.
Green ignited the comeback with a one-out single. Snyder singled, and Wall’s fly ball to right field was dropped to load the bases.
Zach Neiswander singled home Green by beating out an infield grounder to second base. Jarron Willoby relieved Kyle Thrush and recorded a strikeout looking.
But Lester Amos drew an RBI walk on a 3-1 pitch to tie it, 3-3.
Snyder then scampered home on a Willoby wild pitch to put Ada in front, 4-3. Another walk to Levi Sousley on a 3-2 wild pitch plated Wall to extend the lead to 5-3.
A ground-out to shortstop on a close play at first ended the inning with Ada ahead by two runs.
Kenton rallied in their last at bat in the top of the seventh, but was ultimately thwarted by Ada.
Beazley led off with an infield single and stole second base. Leffler struck out, and Sousley ran down a fly ball in center field for the second out.
Wildcat Grady Baum beat out a grounder to shortstop that was misplayed to bring in the fourth Kenton run.
But the last Wildcat hitter hit a line drive to center that Sousley made a nice running catch on as he charged in on the shot to end the game.
Snyder pitched all seven innings to earn the win. He struck out eight and allowed three earned runs by scattering seven hits and three walks. He also had a hit and scored a run to aid his own cause.
Green scored two runs and had two hits to pace Ada.
Wall and Neiswander each collected a hit, a run and an RBI. Amos added an RBI walk.
Sutherly doubled in the first frame to provide the lone Bulldog extra-base hit.
The Wildcats narrowly out-hit Ada, 7-6. Beazley compiled three hits, two runs and one RBI. Hunt hit a double, singled, scored two runs and stole a base.
Tyson Lawrence and Leffler added the other Wildcat hits.
Thrush allowed two earned runs on six hits in 5 2/3 innings as the Kenton starting hurler. He struck out eight and walked none.
Kenton left seven runners on base and stole three bases. The Bulldogs stranded five runners and swiped one bag.
Ada committed two errors, while Kenton also made a pair of errors.
Ada added a home game Saturday, May 13 vs. Pandora-Gilboa (5-16) at 11 a.m.
The Bulldogs host Cory-Rawson (2-17) in the Div. IV sectional semifinals May 16.
123 456 7 R H E
KEN 001 020 1 -- 4 7 2
ADA 000 104 x – 5 6 2
LOB--KENTON 7, ADA 5.
ERR--Grady Kleman-Beazley, Anthony Hunt, Spencer Wall (2).
2B--Anthony Hunt, Jacob Sutherly.
HBP--Tyson Lawrence.
SB--Grady Kleman-Beazley, Anthony Hunt, Tyson Lawrence, Spencer Wall.
PB--Luke Leffler (2), Jacob Sutherly.
BB--Grady Baum, Kyle Thrush (2), Levi Sousley, Lester Amos.
KENTON IP H R ER BB SO HR
Kyle Thrush 5.33 6 5 2 0 8 0
Jarron Willoby 0.67 0 0 0 2 1 0
ADA
Roman Snyder 7.0 7 4 3 3 8 0
