By Cort Reynolds
ADA - The Ada softball team took two from local arch-rival USV in a non-league twinbill Saturday at the park.
The Lady Bulldogs won game one 14-5, then captured the nightcap 6-2. Sophomore hurler Leona Dalton pitched complete-game wins in both ends of the twinbill.
Ada improved to 7-7 with the doubleheader sweep, and the Rams fell to 3-6 with the defeats.
The purple and gold jumped ahead 7-4 in the first game.
Lexi Waugh beat out an infield hit in the home fourth to start another rally. One out later Sidney Gossard slapped a solid RBI single up the middle to score Kiersten Cortez.
Brenna George then sliced a two-run single to right-center field to extend the lead to 10-4. She stole second but was stranded after a soft liner to shortstop and a groundout to third base.
In the Ram fifth, Haley Martin beat out an infield single to shortstop and stole her way to third. Ada senior Raina England gloved a liner to shortstop.
Dalton got out number on a called third strike change-up. But an eeror on a long, high fly ball to left field brought in Martin to make it 10-5.
After a walk, Dalton got out of the jam on a pop-out to England.
In the home fifth, speedster Alexis Ennis beat out an infield single and stole second. England struck out but reached first when the catcher missed a third strike.
Cortez looped an infield single over the drawn-in third sacker to plate Ennis for an 11-5 lead. Waugh then smoked an RBI single to center field for a 12-5 margin.
Dalton beat out a bunt to bring home another run, and Gossard drove in a run on a sacrifice fly out to left field. Pinch runner Melina Temple stole a base but the inning ende don two strikeouts with Ada on top 14-5.
In the USV sixth, Avery Sanders grounded out to shortstop leading off. Miriam Lee reached on a throwing error, but Grayson Evans was retired on a sof tline-out to George. Martin then grounded out to third baseman Gossard to end the scoreless frame.
England was hit by a pitch with two out in the Ada sixth, but was stranded.
Bri Hurley led off the Ram seventh with a single to left-center. Rylee Shepherd poked a long fly to center field, but Ennis made a nice running catch to thwart her bid for extra bases.
Ram Riley Leonard slugged a double to the gap to keep the visitors alive. But Dalton struck out Joslyn Ross looking, then retired Emma Hunsicker on a grounder to England to end the game.
G1 R
USV 5
Ada 14
WP-Dalton (6-6)
2B-Leonard (U)
In game two, Ada clung to a 4-2 lead early.
Dalton struck out two Rams in the top of the fourth to keep the margin at two.
Tori Green drew a leadoff walk in the Ada fourth, but the next three baters went down in order.
Dalton set down all three USV hitters in the top of the fifth. In the home fifth, Waugh led off by stroking a single to center field.
Dalton and Gossard each flew out to center field, followed by a George walk. But a strikeout ended the threat.
Dalton ran her streak to nine straight batters retired in the top of the sixth as she struck out Hunsicker looking to end the frame.
Ennis and England beat out consecutive one-out bunt singles in the Ada sixth. Cortez sliced an RBI single to right field to extend the lead to 5-2.
Waugh's run-scoring single to left field gave Ada a 6-2 advantage. Dalton singled to center field to load the bases. But Gossard and George each popped out to the pitcher to end the threat.
Avery Sanders led off the Ram seventh by lining a hard shot off the right pitching shoulder of Dalton. The ball ricocehted to England, who threw Sanders out by an eyeleash at first.
After a short break to tend to Dalton, she resumed pitching. Evans rapped a sharp single right up the middle. But Dalton recovered to strike out the last two hitters to end the game with a flourish.
Dalton improved to 7-6 this season with her second doubleheader pitching sweep of the season.
G2 R
USV 2
Ada 6
WP-Dalton (7-6) LP-
2B-
Ada (0-4 road) is slated to visit non-league rival Leipsic Wednesday, April 17.
