By Cort Reynolds
ADA - One out from defeat, the Ada baseball squad tied their season-opening game in the bottom of the seventh, but then fell 8-6 in extra innings to visiting Hardin Northern in their annual county rivalry contest Monday evening.
Bulldog Aaron Everhart drilled a clutch two-out, two-run double to deep right field in the bottom of the seventh to score Jaylin Burkhart and Zach Wilson, tying the contest.
The extra base hit knotted the score at 6-6, but Everhart was called out at third trying to stretch the hit into a triple just after Wilson crossed home with the tying run.
In the top of the eighth, senior right-hander Seth Evans relieved Wilson on the mound for Ada. Evans retired the first batter on a grounder to second baseman Connor Frazier.
The second batter was retired on a one-hopper back to the mound. But then with two strikes, the third Northern batter was hit by a pitch and stole second base.
Evans appeared to strike out the next Bear hitter for the third out, but the third strike was ruled to have been short-hopped by catcher Landon Blankenship in the dirt. Ada delayed throwing the ball to first, and the batter reached to keep the inning alive.
HN's Cramer then dumped a two-strike pitch into left field for a single that broke the deadlock for HN. After a wild pitch, the Northern runner on third was barely safe at home on the throw from a hustling Blankenship to Evans, who was covering the plate.
Evans then retired the side with a strikeout, but the two-out damage had been done.
With light rain falling and the lights on, Ada went down in order in their half of the eighth. Phillip Coulson grounded out to first base unassisted. Evans grounded out to the pitcher. Austin Amburgey then bounced out to shortstop to end the contest.
Ada jumped out to a 3-0 lead after scoring twice in the first inning and once in the second. Northern plated one run in the second frame.
HN seized the lead in the fourth with the help of a two-run Ada throwing error up the right field line. The Bulldogs tied it in the bottom of the fourth at 4-4.
The Polar Bears took a 5-4 lead with a single run in the sixth. Then with two out in the visiting seventh, Brice Hipsher pulled a solo home run over the right field fence to give HN an insurance run and a 6-4 lead.
Yet Ada rallied in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings. With one out, Burkhart singled and Wilson reached on an error by the HN second baseman on a one-hopper. After a pop-out to third base, Everhart then tied it with his clutch two-run double.
Everhart paced the six-hit Ada offense with a single and double, two RBI, a walk and a steal. Left-hnded HN hurler Hipsher led the victors with a homer, two walks and a stolen base.
Northern (1-0) won its opener despite putting together just three hits. Both teams were charged with five errors.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
HN 0 1 0 3 0 1 1 2 8 3 5
Ada 2 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 6 6 5
WP-Cramer (1-0)
LP-Evans (0-1)
2B-Everhart (A)
HR-Hipsher (HN)
Ada (0-1) visits Arcadia Tuesday and hosts Cory-Rawson Thursday in a pair of non-league bouts vs. BVC foes.
