By Cort Reynolds
ADA - The host Ada baseball team broke a fifth inning tie on a wild pitch and held on to defeat Cory-Rawson 2-1 in non-league action Thursday evening.
Ada improved to 3-2 with the non-league victory, while the Hornets fell to 1-2 with the loss.
With the score tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Zac Swaney doubled to right-center field. He advanced to third base on a groundout. After a strikeout, Swaney scampered home on a two-out, two-strike wild pitch to put the Bulldogs in front.
Cory tried to rally in the sixth with its own leadoff double to left-center off the bat of Carson Houck. Ada first baseman Connor Frazier made a great running catch of a twisting foul pop-up at the top of the fence just beyond the first base dugout.
The Bulldogs ended the threat when senior catcher Austin Amburgey gunned down Houck trying to steal third base. Bryce Paul made a fine leaping catch of the throw and slapped the tag on the would-be base stealer to end the inning.
The Bulldogs drew a walk to open the home sixth, but a pickoff by Hornet senior pitcher Kyle Schultz stopped the momentum. Frazier later belted a double over the center fielder's head, but was stranded.
In the top of the seventh, Cory led off with an infield single that second baseman Brandon Hull knocked down with a dive.
Junior hurler Phillip Coulson struck out the next Hornet and induced a groundout. C-R then smashed a line drive but it was right at Paul, who gloved it for the final out.
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third when Swaney scored on an RBI hit by Hull.
C-R tied it 1-1 in the top of the fourth on an unearned run. Yet Ada regained the lead in the fifth and held on for the win.
Bulldog starting hurler Phillip Coulson pitched a complete game, scattering seven hits over seven innings. He struck out eight, walked two and allowed no earned runs. Coulson threw 88 pitches, 64 for strikes.
Sophomore Swaney scored both Ada runs. Coulson and Burkhart added singles for Ada, which was out-hit 7-5 by the Hornets.
Schultz struck out 10 and walked four Bulldogs on the mound for C-R. He threw 109 pitches, 67 for strikes. Cory left seven runners on base to six by Ada. Shortstop Logan Stuckey led the Hornets with two hits and a steal.
Ada commited no errors while C-R made two miscues.
123 456 7 R H E
C-R 000 100 0 1 5 2
Ada 001 010 x 2 1 1
WP-Coulson (2-0) LP-Schultz
2B-Frazier (A), Swaney (A), Houck (CR)
Ada (2-0 home) is slated to entertain WBL foe Bath Monday, April 1.
