PHOTOS by Mark Andreasen, click to enlarge and view at your own pace

By Cort Reynolds

ADA – The streaking Ada High School softball team defeated plucky non-conference backyard rival Allen East 6-0 Thursday evening, April 23 to celebrate Senior Night.

Ada improved to 14-2 overall with their sixth straight victory, all at home. The Bulldog girls have outscored their opponents 62-1 during the win streak.

Outmanned AE battled hard but dropped to 2-10 overall after taking the rivalry loss.  

“It was nice to get another win, especially on Senior Night,” said Bulldog head coach Jeff Bassitt. 

The Bulldog girls out-hit the Mustangs 10-5, and played error-less defense. AE committed four costly miscues.  

Ada second baseman Karley Wagner made an alert catch of a dropped pop-up to highlight the first inning. 

Jenna Bassitt led off the home first with a single and stole second base. After a wild pitch, Emily Shanks walked and swiped second. 

On another wild pitch that bounced hard off the backstop, AE catcher Harper Friesner made a nice play to retrieve the ball quickly. She tossed it to hurler Lauren Wireman covering home, and she tagged out the sliding Bassitt.

Senior catcher Natilyn McClain singled to left field, but Ada left the bases full.

After a walk and two whiffs, Friesner ripped a double into the left-center field gap. But Bassitt induced a ground-out to Wagner to keep AE off the board.

Reese Jordan led off the Ada second by looping a double down the left field line. But Wireman retired the next three Bulldogs to keep the game scoreless.

In the AE third, Bassitt pitched around a single with two strikeouts and an unassisted ground-out to first sacker Aidra Preston. 

Ada broke the 0-0 tie in the bottom of the third. Tess Griffith singled up the middle, and Wagner’s hard grounder took a bad hop and struck the Mustang second baseman on the chin for an infield hit.

Aidra Preston’s pop-up behind second was dropped by the shortstop, and both runners raced home for a 2-0 purple and gold lead. Jordan then lined out to left to end the frame.

Senior Bassitt put AE down in order in the fourth. Dailah Preston ripped a double that rolled to the fence in left-center field leading off the Ada fourth.

Wireman retired the next two batters, then hit Shanks. But McClain grounded out to first to end the threat. 

Friesner smoked her second double to the same gap in left-center to lead off the AE fifth. Yet Bassitt struck out the next two hitters and got out of the jam scoreless on a grounder as Preston made a good tag at first base off a slightly wide throw.

Wagner and Aidra Preston drew one-out walks in the Bulldog fifth. Jordan was hit by a pitch to load the bases. But Wireman got out of trouble with a clutch whiff and a pop-out.

Bassitt singled to left and stole second to start the Ada sixth. Shanks popped a bunt up the first base line for a hit. Bassitt then barely beat another relay throw home to Wireman off a wild pitch to make it 3-0.

Griffith lifted a fly ball to center field that was dropped to let the fourth run in. Wagner walked, and Aidra Preston tomahawked a high pitch for a double down the left field line.

Wagner raced home to provide a 6-0 lead.

In the top of the seventh, Bassitt struck out the first hitter and then induced a long fly to center, where Griffith made a nice running grab. Ella Miller singled off the second base bag, but Bassitt ended it on a strikeout.

Bassitt singled twice, scored a run and stole three bases. Jordan hit a double, singled and had one RBI with one hit by pitch.

Shanks singled, walked, stole a base and scored a run. 

Griffith singled and scored two runs. Wagner walked three times, hit an infield single and scored twice.

Aidra Preston doubled in a run and walked once. Dailah Preston roped a double, and McClain hit a single.

Mustang catcher Friesner smacked two doubles.

AE workhorse hurler Lauren Wireman threw 136 pitches over six innings to get the tough defeat. She scattered nine hits, gave up three earned runs and struck out eight while walking five.

Bassitt hurled seven innings of shutout ball, struck out 11 and walked one to win her 14th game of the spring. She allowed five hits. Bassitt has given up just one earned run in her last 51 innings.  

Ada improved to 7-0 at home with the win.

Five Bulldog senior standouts were recognized in pre-game ceremonies on Senior Night – Aidra Preston, Bassitt, Wagner, Griffith and McClain. The accomplished softball group has combined to win 54 career games so far.

Ada (5-2 BVC) resumes league play at Riverdale (6-5, 2-2 BVC) Monday, April 28.

123 456 7 R H E

AE 000 000 0 0 5 4

Ada 002 004 x 10 10 0

WP-Bassitt (14-2) LP-Wireman 

2B-Jordan (A), A. Preston (A), D. Preston (A), Friesner 2 (AE)