By Cort Reynolds
ADA - The Ada softball team rallied behind a big fourth inning to defeat visiting county rival Hardin Northern 10-6 Monday evening at the park in the debut of new head coach Rebecca Dicke.
Ada improved to 1-0 this season with the home opening-win, while HN fell to 0-1 with the loss.
The Lady Bulldogs plated all 10 runs in their final three at bats to post the comeback victory.
"The girls worked out their first-game jitters and rallied to make things happen on the bases," said Dicke.
"I was pleased at how the underclass players stepped up on both offense and defense today."
HN jumped in front 3-0 in the top of the first inning. Pore, Jackson and Zoey Curtis all reached base in succession with one out and came around to score.
The Lady Bulldogs erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the fourth to seize the lead. Leadoff hitter Alexis Ennis reached on an error and scored to start the comeback.
Junior infielder Sidney Gossard, winning pitcher Leona Dalton, senior shortstop Raina England and Alexis Waugh each scored in succession to put Ada in front, 5-3.
Sophomores Kiersten Cortez and Aubrey Madison later scored in the fourth frame to extend the margin to 7-3.
Curtis and Spearman crossed home plate in the HN fifth to inch within 7-5. But in the bottom of the fifth, Ada sophomore catcher Waugh and soph second sacker Brenna George scored to restore the lead to four.
Waugh tallied an insurance run in the sixth to make it 10-5.
Erin McCoy scored in the top of the seventh for HN, but Dalton retired the last three Polar Bear hitters to preserve the win.
Sophomore hurler Dalton scattered nine hits and struck out six while walking five to earn the win. She gave up four earned runs.
Center fielder Ennis helped pace Ada with two hits and a run. Waugh contributed two hits and tallied three runs. Left fielder Cortez compiled three hits and scored a run.
Gossard, Dalton, Madison, George and England each collected a hit and scored a run. Sophomore right fielder Tori Green added a hit.
Ada out-hit HN, 13-9. Maddie Grappy, Flowers and Curtis each collected a pair of hits for the Lady Bears. Curtis also scored two runs.
123 456 7 R H E
HN 300 020 1 6 9 x
Ada 000 721 x 10 13 x
WP-Dalton (1-0) LP-Spearman
2B-George (A)
Ada is scheduled to play at Arcadia Tuesday in a non-league contest. The Lady Bulldogs then host Cory-Rawson Thursday, March 28.
