By Cort Reynolds
ADA - The host Ada softball team lost to Paulding 13-2 in a battle for first place in the Northwest Conference Monday evening.
The Lady Bulldogs dropped to 9-5 overall and 3-2 in the NWC with the loss between two of the three league leaders. The Panthers improved to 7-4 overall and 4-1 in NWC play after the big win.
"We just made too many errors," said Ada head coach Troy Erickson, whose team allowed seven unearned runs. "We have to play error-free ball. We have a freshman who pitches to contact, and (thus) we have to make the plays behind her.
"We didn't execute our smallball game," he continued. "Manz is a great pitcher, the best in the NWC."
After a scoreless first inning, the Panthers broke on top with four runs in the top of the second. The first four batters reached on three straight singles and a double, and all four eventually scored.
With two out in the top of the third, Grace Tuttle stroked a double to center field. But Ada avoided allowing a run on a fly out to left fielder Kaiti Newland.
Ada then went down in order on two strikeouts and bunt back to Audrey Manz. "We bunted right to the pitcher too often," said Erickson.
In the away fourth, the visitors broke the game open. Haylee Dominique smashed a line-drive, two-run homer to make it 6-0. A single, a walk and another long single off the base of the fence in left loaded the bases.
Stahl slapped a single to left to make it 7-0. After a pop-out, Leona Dalton retired Tuttle on a fly ball to left field. Parrett then looped a single to right field, and two more runs scored as the second baserunner barely beat the accurate throw home by right fielder Alexis Ennis.
Ada finally got out of the costly frame by inducing the dangerous Dominique to fly out to deep center field.
In the bottom of the fourth, Ada got to Manz and dented the scoreboard. Sydney Newland singled to right field with one out. Gossard then crushed a two-run home run well over the left field fence to cut the deficit to 9-2.
"Maddie squared that one up," said Erickson.
Kaiti Newland beat out a swinging bunt but was stranded when Ennis was narrowly thrown out at first following a bunt attempt.
A bad-hop single deep in the hole and through to left field began the Paulding fifth off reliever Gossard. Megan Tope grounded into a forceout from shortstop to second. Two Panthers walked to load the bases before Gossard struck out Rice looking.
However, just when it looked like the Bulldogs might wriggle out of the jam, the Panthers coaxed four consecutive walks to force in four runs and build an 11-run lead.
Dalton re-entered as pitcher and ended the rally by getting the batter to pop out to first base. In the Ada fifth, Sidney Gossard reached base leading off when her fly ball to right field was dropped.
But hard-throwing senior Manz got a strikeout and induced two groundouts to end the contest in five innings due to the 10-run rule.
"We took a pounding today," said Erickson. "You can't make mistakes in our league and win. Manz dominated us."
Ada freshman hurler Leona Dalton pitched 4 1/3 innings and took the defeat despite giving up just two earned runs and seven hits. She struck out three and walked six.
Paulding out-hit Ada 8-4 and coaxed a dozen costly walks. Manz struck out eight in five innings to earn the shortened, complete-game win.
Catcher Sydney Newland collected two hits and Maddie Gossard drove in both Bulldog runs with her homer. Kaiti Newland collected the other Ada hit with an infield single.
The loss dropped the Bulldogs to 2-1 at home this season.
123 456 7 R H E
Pau 040 54x x 13 8 1
Ada 000 20x x 2 4 5
WP-Manz LP-Dalton (7-5)
2B-Parrett (P), Tuttle (P)
HR-M. Gossard (A), Dominique (P)
Ada (7-4 road) visits county rival Kenton Wednesday.
The Bulldogs are then scheduled to host Spencerville (2-0 NWC) in a crucial NWC showdown Thursday with three league games remaining.
"We will have to play perfect to win out in the league," said Erickson. "(A record of) 6-2 could still win or share the league championship. I hope we can shake this off Thursday when Spencerville comes to town."
