By Cort Reynolds

MARIA STEIN – The visiting Ada High School baseball team lost 9-0 to powerful Marion Local in their Div. VI sectional final battle Saturday afternoon, May 24.

The top-seeded Flyers jumped ahead with two runs in the bottom of the first and were never threatened. Marion Local added single runs in the third, fourth and fifth frames to build a 5-0 lead.

The hosts then put the game out of reach with a four-run sixth inning.

Eighth-seeded Ada ends its season with a 6-18 record after the defeat.

ML improves to 15-7 with the win, and advances to the district semifinals. 

“The kids were playing their best baseball at the end of the year,” noted Ada head coach Toby Smith. “That is always the goal, so we are proud of that.”

Ada freshman right fielder Thad Smith smacked two singles to provide both Bulldog hits. 

Sophomore Brody Rister drew a walk, and Levi Green was hit by a pitch.

Bulldog junior hurler Mason Wibley started and pitched the first five innings to suffer the loss. He allowed eight hits and seven earned runs. He struck out one. 

Rister hurled the final inning, allowing no hits and an unearned run.

Flyer hurler Parker Hess twirled a two-hit shutout. He struck out 14 and walked one Bulldog over seven innings. Hess also singled in a run and stole one base.

ML out-hit Ada 8-2, and made no misplays. Ada committed three errors.

Flyer left fielder Bryant Meier smacked a double, singled, drove in a run and scored one. He also swiped a bag.

ML right field clean-up hitter Hayden Poeppelman slammed a two-run home run. Catcher Ethan Heitkamp stroked a two-run single and scored one run.

Flyer shortstop Griffin Bruns singled twice, scored a run and stole two bases. DH Kamden Eifert doubled and scored two runs.

Ada stranded three runners, while ML left five on base.

It was the last game for Ada senior shortstop Green, senior center fielder Kaine Fisher and Ethan Lawrence.

123    456    7     R     H     E
Ada   000 000 0 0 2 3

ML 201 114 x 9 8 0
WP-Hess LP-Wibley
2B-Eifert (ML), Meier (ML)

HR-Poeppelman (ML)