By Cort Reynolds
FINDLAY - Defiance Tinora scored on the only extra-base hit of an extra-inning pitcher's duel with two outs in the eighth to win the Div. IV regional softball semifinals 3-2 over a valiant Ada squad on a warm Wednesday evening at Marathon Diamonds in Findlay.
With two out in the bottom of the eighth, Tinora junior outfielder Aubrey Reineke lofted a long drive to right field for a triple that scored pinch runner Lexi Miles with the winning run.
The Lady Bulldogs ended their season 17-9 with the heartbreaking loss. Meanwhile, Tinora improved to 16-6 and advanced to the state quarterfinals with the win.
Ada trailed 2-0 heading to the fifth inning, but then tied it with two trademark small ball runs, which eventually forced the game into extra innings.
The Bulldogs and poised freshman hurler Leona Dalton held Tinora scoreless for four innings, and were one out away from forcing a ninth inning when Reineke delivered the game-winning hit.
In the top of the first inning the Bulldogs went down in order. Olivia Alexander struck out, followed by a bunt try by Raina England that the catcher fielded and threw on to first for the out. Sydney Newland then lined out hard to third base.
In the bottom of the first, Tinora scored the game's firstrun without benefit of a hit.
Leadoff batter Quinn Slattman grounded out to second baseman England, but senior Lyndsay Clemens then walked. Junior Sydney Greiser reached on an error at first base and Clemens advanced to third.
Ram senior pitcher Ashton Helmke lifted a high drive into right center field that Kaiti Newland caught, but Clemens tagged up and came in to score on a sacrifice fly for a 1-0 Ram lead.
Ada senior southpaw catcher Sydney Newland then gunned down Greiser trying to steal second base to end the inning.
In the top of the second, Maddie Gossard grounded out to third base on a 3-2 pitch. Kaiti Newland popped out to Greiser at third, and Teara Coulson struck out.
In the home second, Tinora threatened. Junior first sacker Hanna Horn popped out to third baseman Maddie Gossard, but junior Aubrey Reineke drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch. Freshman Tristen Norden grounded into an unassisted force-out to shortstop Alexander.
Sophomore Erica Rieke reached first on a dropped pop-up by Dalton. But the freshman got out of the jam by inducing sophomore catcher Sierra Salinas to pop out to first baseman Sidney Gossard, leaving two runners on.
In the Ada third, Sidney Gossard struck out on a 2-2 pitch leading off. Senior Nicki Lehsten was called out on strikes, and junior slap-hitter Alexis Ennis grounded to Greiser, who threw on to Horn at first for the out.
Slattman hit a chopper to third sacker Gossard leading off the Ram third. The sure-handed Gossard made a fine fielding play and threw on to her sister for the out. Clemens looped a single to right field, yet Greiser popped out to England.
Helmke then hit a fly ball to right that Ennis gloved to end the frame.
In the top of the fourth, slap-hitting Alexander became the first Ada baserunner via an infield hit to shortstop. She then stole second. England grounded out to second base on 1-2 pitch, but Alexander moved up to third.
Then came a big play.
Syd Newland hit a hard grounder to third base, but Greiser threw home to Salinas who tagged Alexander out at the plate for a key defensive stop. Maddie Gossard then singled to left field, bringing up Kaiti Newland.
But Helmke worked out of trouble by getting a called third strike, her fifth whiff of the contest.
In the Tinora half of the fourth, the Rams added to their lead on three singles. Horn led off by dumping an 0-2 pitch into shallow center field for a single. Reineke then blooped another single to put runners on first and second.
Norden fouled out on a pop-up to Gossard beyond third. Rieke was called out on a 2-2 pitch, bringing up Salinas again with two runners on.
On a 2-2 Dalton delivery, one strike from wriggling out of trouble unscathed, Salinas hit her pitch down the left field line for a run-scoring single and a 2-0 lead.
Slattman then hit a fly ball that Ennis tracked down in right field to leave two Tinora runners on base.
Ada struck back with its patented small ball offense in the fifth inning.
Coulson led off with a bunt single, and the senior left fielder stole second base to ignite the Bulldog offense. Sidney Gossard struck out looking. Lehsten grounded a 2-1 pitch to third, but an error allowed Coulson to race around the bases and score the first Bulldog run.
Ennis grounded to Greiser at third base, with Horn making a nice stretch at first base to nip the fleet Ennis. But Alexander reached on a bunt single to third when no Ram covered first base, extending the frame.
England came up with runners on the corners and she narrowly beat out an RBI bunt to tie it, 2-2. Syd Newland then smacked a grounder toward second that hit the baserunner along with a collision with Clemens to end the inning, but not before Ada had rallied to knot it.
Settling down nicely, Dalton retired Tinora in order in the bottom of the fifth. Clemens flew out to Ennis, and Greiser lined out to Alexander at short. Dalton then fielded a grounder back to the circle for the third out.
Maddie Gossard led off the Bulldog sixth with a hard grounder to Horn at first, and she completed the out unassisted. Kaiti Newland went down swinging, as did Coulson.
In the Ram sixth, Horn popped out to catcher Syd Newland. Reineke flew out to England at second. Norden then hit a fly ball into right-center that Ennis snagged to end the frame.
In the top of the seventh, Sidney Gossard grounded out to Greiser, as Horn scooped her low throw out of the dirt at first. Lehsten hit a chopper back to the pitcher, and Helmke threw her out.
Ennis reached on a throwing error, yet Rieke backed up the play to keep the runner at first. Ennis then stole second base with a nice slide. Alexander bunted, but Helmke fielded it cleanly and threw her out at first.
In the bottom of the seventh, Rieke led off and struck out swinging on a 2-2 pitch. Salinas legged out an infield single to shortstop, narrowly beating the long throw from the hole.
Slattman's fly ball to right field was caught by Ennis. Clemens hit a grounder to England, who knocked it down and beat the baserunner to the bag for the final out of the frame.
In the Ada eighth, England struck out swinging and Syd Newland grounded out to second baseman Clemens. Maddie Gossard was then called out on strikes for Helmke's 10th and final strikeout.
In the bottom of the eighth, Greiser led off by flying out deep to center fielder Kaiti Newland. Helmke chopped a single through the infield, and junior reserve Miles subbed in for her as a courtesy runner.
Horn flew out to center field, bringing Reineke up to bat. The Ram hitter got ahead 3-0 and then on a 3-1 pitch, she drove a long fly to the base of the fence in right field.
Miles sped around the bases ahead of the relay throw to give Tinora a thrilling 3-2 victory.
It was the first trip to the regionals for either program. Tinora will now face Gibsonburg in the regional finals Saturday at Findlay, with a trip to the state final four on the line.
Gibsonburg (18-5) rallied to beat North Baltimore 12-9 in the first Div. IV regional semifinal Wednesday afternoon at Findlay.
123 456 78 R H E
Ada 000 020 00 2 6 2
DT 100 100 01 3 6 3
WP-Helmke (15-5) LP-Dalton (14-9)
3B-Miles (T)
The defeat was the final Ada game for seniors Alexander, the Newland twins, Maddie Gossard, Coulson, Lehsten and Madison Preston. The seniors graduate as the winningest class (57-41) in Bulldog softball program history.
The 17 wins Ada compiled this spring are a program single-season mark, breaking the previous record of 15 tied by the 2016 Bulldogs. Ada has compiled a 45-27 record over the past three seasons under head coach Troy Erickson.
Seniors Alexander, Gossard, Lehsten and Kaiti Newland, along with England and Sid Gossard, also advanced to the regionals in volleyball last fall. Ada celebrated its first district titles in softball and volleyball during the highly successful 2017-18 athletic school year.
