By Cort Reynolds

ADA – The Ada High School baseball team lost 8-2 to visiting county rival Ridgemont on a windy, warm Friday evening, April 18.

The Bulldogs fell behind 5-0 after three innings. Ada scored single runs in the fourth and fifth frames to edge back into striking distance at 5-2.

But the Gophers plated three big insurance runs in the top of the seventh to put the game out of reach.

Maddox Thompson doubled home two runs in the seventh on a fly ball down the right field line to extend the Gopher lead to 7-2. Another two-bagger by Jon Cromer plated the third and final run of the inning.

Mason Wibley looped a single to short right field in the Ada sixth, but was stranded. The Bulldogs went out in order in the seventh to end the game.

“We need to keep working on the little things so we can be playing our best baseball in the next couple of weeks,” said Ada head coach Toby Smith. 

Ada dropped to 3-7 overall with the defeat, while Ridgemont improved to 3-5 after the win.

Xavier Stuck hurled all seven innings to earn the pitching win for the Gophers. He struck out seven, walked one and allowed just one earned run on five hits.

Stuck aided his own cause by hitting a double and a single. He drove in one run and scored twice. Jayden Sifrit also doubled, singled and knocked in one run. Cromer contributed a double, single, one RBI and a run.

Losing hurler Wes Mowery pitched four innings, giving up two earned runs on five hits with one walk. He struck out three Gophers.

Bulldog sophomore catcher Andrew Allen hit two singles, drove in one run and stole a base.

The Gophers rapped out nine hits, while Ada compiled five hits. Five of the nine Ridgemont safeties were doubles.

The Bulldogs committed three errors, while the visitors made a pair of miscues.  

Ada (2-2 BVC) hosts tough league rival Leipsic (7-4, 4-1 BVC) Monday, April 21. 

WP-Stuck LP-Mowery

2B-Moore (R ), Stuck (R ), Sifrit (R ), Thompson (R ), Cromer (R )