By Cort Reynolds
McGUFFEY - The visiting Ada baseball team outslugged backyard arch-rival USV 20-16 in a game originally suspended by darkness in the seventh inning on an unseasonably warm Friday evening.
Ada improved to 3-4 with the big win over their winless non-league rival.
The Bulldogs trailed 6-3 after a wild first inning. Ada edged ahead 7-6 after scoring four runs in the second, then extended the lead to 15-6 with eight more scores in the top of the third.
USV rallied with six runs in the home half of the third to inch within 15-12. Yet Ada responded with five more scores in the top of the fourth to build the lead back to eight.
The Rams edged back within four scores on a run in the fifth and three more in the sixth.
But then the lengthy game was called due to darkness with Ada holding a 20-16 advantage. The teams combined for 36 runs, 25 hits and 10 errors in the contest.
123 456 R H E
Ada 348 500 20 11 4
USV 606 013 16 14 6
WP-Blankenship LP-Lamb
2B-Moots (U), Lamb (U)
3B-Shaffer (A), Moots (U)
Colten Shaffer led the 11-hit Ada offense with a triple, three singles and a career-high seven runs batted in. The senior also scored three runs.
Bulldog senior shortstop Aaron Everhart had a hit, three walks, four stolen bases and four runs scored.
Jason Moots collected a triple, a double and a single to lead the Rams, who knocked out 14 hits. He scored three runs and drove in a pair.
Austin Lamb contributed a double, two walks, two RBI and two runs scored.
Ada (3-3 on road) is scheduled to visit league rival Crestview (4-2, 3-0 NWC) Tuesday. The Knights sit atop the league standings, while Ada is tied for eighth with Grove at 0-3 (3-4 overall).
