By Cort Reynolds
ADA - The host Ada softball team crushed Vanlue 13-0 Friday evening in a non-conference mismatch on a windy Friday evening.
The Lady Bulldogs improved to 11-6 after the win, the last regularly scheduled home game of the spring. Ada s expected to play a sectional game at ahome, and will likely add a home game in the interim between May 3 and May 10.
Ada freshman hurler Leona Dalton pitched a two-hit shutout over five innings to earn her ninth victory. "Leona pitched for the third straight day and threw well," noted Ada head coach Troy Erickson.
Senior left fielder Teara Coulson threw a Vanlue runner out at the plate trying to score to end the game in the top of the fifth, preserving the run-rule shortened shutout.
"We took care of business," said Erickson. "I am happy for this class of seniors, they are a special group. They have won 44 games so far, which has to be the most in program history.
"I am happy everybody got a chance to play as well."
Ada scored in the home first to take the lead and was never threatened. Senior leadoff hitter Olivia Alexander singled, then stole her way to third base.
She scored when senior Sydney Newland hit a rocket off the Vanlue second sacker. "She hit a laser," said Erickson. "That was one of the hardest-hit balls I have seen here."
After Dalton retired Vanlue in the second, Ada plated five more runs in the home second. Junior Raina England started it with an infield hit, then stole a base. Junior Alexis Ennis knocked her in with an infield single, then swiped second.
Sophomore Sidney Gossard reached on a grounder up the middle off pitcher Amanda Clymer. After a wild pitch, senior Nicki Lehsten plated the third run with a dribbler up the third base line.
Ennis collided hard with the Vanlue catcher at the plate but scored. Alexander then beat out a well-placed bunt up the first base line to bring home Gossard for a 4-0 lead.
Seniors Teara Coulson and Maddie Gossard each walked, sandwiched around a flyout to center. With the bases loaded, senior Kaiti Newland pulled a sharp single to left field, scoring two more runs for a 6-0 cushion.
Leading off the top of the third, Syd Newland made a nice diving catch of a low pop-up at home plate. Dalton struck out Price and walked a batter. Clymer looped a single to right field.
But right fielder Ennis made a nice catch on her knees off a Phillips line drive to end the threat and keep the shutout intact.
Ada then exploded for seven runs in the home third to put the game well out of reach. Ennis led off with a bunt single, then stole two bases to third. Sid Gossard grounded a single through the hole to score Ennis for a 7-0 lead.
Lensten beat out an infield single to third, then stole second. Alexander walked to fill the bases. Gossard scored on a wild pitch, and Coulson smacked a sharp two-run single to center field to make it 10-0.
Syd Newland ripped a low liner double to the gap in right-center, making it 11-0. Maddie Gossard kept the line moving with a hard single to left, with still no one out.
Kaiti Newland wlaked and Vanlue finally got an out on a whiff. Ennis batted for the second time in the frame and reached on an error by the first baseman, which allowed another run. Sid Gossard drove in the 13th run with a bases-loaded walk.
Another strikeout and a baserunning miscue ended the big inning. Neither team scored in the fourth frame as Ada substituted liberally.
In the top of the fifth, Vanlue threatened to score with a walk and an error. Dalton induced a fly out to Newland in center field, then struck out Clymer.
Phllips then lined a hard single to left field, but Coulson came up firing. Her one-hop strike nailed the runner at the plate as Syd Newland applied the tag to end the shortened, five-inning contest.
"Our small ball offense worked well today," noted Erickson. Ada collected several bunt and infield hits, and stole numerous bases.
The Lady Bulldogs improved to 3-2 at home this season with the one-sided win.
123 45 R H E
Vlue 000 00 0 2 4
Ada 157 0x 13 12 1
WP-Dalton (9-6) LP-Clymer
2B-S. Newland (A)
Ada (3-3 NWC) plays at solid Lincolnview (7-6, 1-4 NWC) Monday, April 30 in an NWC battle. The Bulldogs are 8-4 on the road this season.
"My goal is to set the school record for wins in a season," said Erickson. "The record is 15 and we still are far from done."
