By Cort Reynolds
Playing at home, the Ada High School varsity softball team lost to Leipsic 13-3 in a Northwest Conference matchup Monday evening, May 2.
The inexperienced Lady Bulldogs committed eight errors.
"We have to clean up the errors if we want to stay in games and win," said Ada head coach Jeff Bassitt.
The Bulldog girls dropped to 3-12 and 1-5 in the NWC after the defeat. The Viking girls improved to 13-4 overall and 4-2 in the NWC with the six-inning win.
Ada freshman Jenna Bassitt retired the first two Viking hitters easily in the first. But then a sharply-hit single to right field by Marisa Hermiller got away from the defense, and she circled the bases for a 1-0 lead.
Jocelyn Hermiller doubled to left field, and then a bloop single into short right field scored her for a 2-0 lead.
Bassitt led off the Ada first with a single over the first baseman's head that landed just inside the foul line. Aidra Preston successfully moved her to second base with a sacrifice bunt.
Sophomore Katie Sizemore drove her home with a line-drive single to center field, cutting the deficit to 2-1.
In the Viking second, Catherine Essinger drilled a change-up on a line over the center field fence for a solo homer and a 3-1 lead. Bassitt escaped any more damage with a atrikeout to strand two runners.
In the Ada half of the second, Raeya Finn walked and Natilyn McClain reached base on an error. Bassitt hit a two-out grounder off the pitcher, but it bounced to shortstop for a force play that ended the threat.
Bassitt retired the Vikes in order in the top of the third. Freshman Preston led off the home third with a single to right field. She advanced to third and scored on a ground-out by Daicy Robinson to inch Ada within 3-2.
But Leipsic took control of the game with a six-run fourth frame.
A pair of errors led to a two-run triple on a low liner to center field off the bat of Essinger.
After a walk and a strikeout, Marisa Hermiller pulled a double down the third base line that extended the lead to 6-2. An Ada throwing error allowed two more runs to scamper home.
Viking Samantha Hazelton slammed a double off the left field fence for a 9-2 lead, but Bassitt retired the last batter looking on a strikeout.
In the bottom of the fourth, freshman Karley Wagner reached on a chopper to second base. Two outs later, catcher McClain smashed an RBI single to left field to plate Wagner and make the score 9-3.
Leipsic added a run in the fifth on an error and a sacrifice bunt.
Robinson drilled a single down the right field line in the Ada half of the fifth, but Belah Price's grounder off the pitcher's glove ricocheted to the shortstop for another inning-ending force-out at second.
In the Viking sixth, a double to the gap in left-center ignited a two-run frame. She scored on two wild pitches. An error gave the visitors another chance to score when the runner barely slid home under the tag after Ally Kirkendall was retired at first on a bunt.
Sizemore collected an RBI hit and a bloody nose on a pop-up lost in the sun, but she gamely returned after a short break from the field.
Robinson, Bassitt, Preston, Wagner and McClain (one RBI) added singles.
Bulldog freshman Bassitt struck out nine batters in six innings. Nine of the 13 Viking runs were unearned.
Essinger led Leipsic with a home run, a triple and a single. Winning hurler Jocelyn Hermiller doubled twice.
123 456 7 R H E
Leip 210 613 x 13 10 1
Ada 101 100 x 3 6 8
WP-J. Hermiller LP-Bassitt
2B-M. Hermiller (L), J. Hermiller 2 (L)
3B-Essinger (L)
HR-Essinger (L)
Ada hosts Cory-Rawson (1-10) Wednesday in a non-league makeup game. The Bulldogs then entertain league foe Spencerville (4-13, 0-5 NWC) Thursday.
