By Cort Reynolds

ADA __The Ada High School softball team used a balanced offense and solid three-girl pitching to overcome the rain and visiting local rival Bluffton 9-4 on a warm but wet Tuesday evening, March 31.

The Bulldog girls jumped ahead with a five-run first inning, held off a Pirate rally and then finished strong with late insurance runs to stay undefeated.

Streaking Ada improved to 5-0 with the victory. Bluffton fell to 1-1 after the loss to their former long-time Northwest Conference foe.

“It was a good game to get all three freshman pitchers in there,” said fifth-year Bulldog head coach Jeff Bassitt. “Sophie hit a nice home run. She and Tea really hit the ball well.“

To spark the big first inning, Ada freshman Tea Griffith sliced a long triple just inside the right field line that skipped into foul territory and turned into a three-run inside-the-park home run.

Freshman Shay Smith then lined a sharp single to right field and stole two bases. Aubry Jordan singled her home with a liner to left for a 4-0 lead. After a walk, Jordan scurried home on a wild pitch to extend the margin to 5-0.

Two Griffith strikeouts set the Pirates down in the visiting second. A short rain delay ensued, but play was able to resume after a few minutes. Ada was unable to score despite an error and a stolen base in the wet home second.

Bluffton struck back with two runs in the top of the third. An error and a walk to freshman Elana Navarro opened the frame. After a double steal, Jessa Swank scored on a grounder to Ada shortstop Emily Shanks. 

Navarro then crossed home plate on a wild pitch to cut the Ada lead to 5-2. Smith walked to lead off the Bulldog third, but was caught stealing on a good throw by catcher Karleigh Davis to thwart the inning.

In the top of the fourth, Pirate freshman Evelyn Boyles drew a one-out walk and Peyton Worcester lined an infield single off the pitcher’s glove. Cam Fruchey’s looper dropped in left field, but Boyles was forced out at third after a solid throw to Reese Jordan.

After a walk loaded the bases, Ada hurler Aubry Jordan then came up with a key three-pitch strikeout to end the threat and strand three runners.

In the Ada fourth, Shanks drew a two-out walk. Sophie Fleming then smoked a liner to center field, where Swank made a nice sliding catch to end the inning.

In the Pirate fifth, Macy Schaadt coaxed a two-out walk and stole second. Greta Myers drilled a single to center field to bring her home and cut the lead to 5-3. But another big strikeout by Jordan preserved the two-run lead.

Third sacker Reese Jordan led off the home fifth with a flyout to left. Griffith then crushed a double that short-hopped the left-center field fence. Smith pulled a line-drive single to right field to drive Griffith home.

Aubry Jordan grounded out, but the ensuing throw to third attempting to cut down Smith sailed wide and she scampered home to make it 7-3.

Junior Dailah Preston smashed a double into the left-center gap that rolled to the wall. But a grounder back to the pitcher Worcester retired the side.

In the sixth, Ada freshman Maycie Dewese came in to pitch. Worcester skipped a single to left field leading off, followed by a strikeout. After a force-out grounder back to Dewese, two steals and a throwing error brought Swank home to inch the Pirates within 7-4.

Dewese ended the frame by inducing a ground-out to second base. 

Ada tacked on two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. Summer Wibley hit a sharp leadoff single to left, then advanced to third on a passed ball and a wild pitch. Shanks dropped down an RBI sacrifice bunt to score her and make it 8-4.

Sophie Fleming then clobbered a no-doubt solo home run over the left-center field wall to stretch the Ada lead to 9-4.

To start the top of the seventh, Dewese struck out Tala Gipson. Shanks made a nice play on a grounder to get the second out. Schaadt grounded out to second base to end the game.

Griffith, Fleming and Smith each collected two hits for Ada. Griffith slugged a double and a triple. Smith stroked two singles, scored twice and drove in a run with two steals. 

Fleming hammered a home run and a single with one RBI, and stole one base. Griffith and Aubry Jordan each drove in two runs. Jordan had a hit and tallied one run, plus swiped a base. 

Shortstop Shanks doubled, scored a run, walked once and had one RBI. Wibley singled and scored a run.

Griffith earned the win with three innings of hitless hurling. Both runs that scored with her in the circle were unearned.  She struck out five and walked one.

Freshman pitcher Jordan had two big inning-ending strikeouts to strand four runners. She gave up two hits and struck out three while giving up one earned run. Dewese whiffed two over the final two innings to earn a save, and allowed one run.

Worcester hurled all six innings for the Pirates, giving up 10 hits and eight earned runs. She struck out five and walked four. She also smacked two of the three Pirate hits.

Navarro walked and scored a run. She is the daughter of former Ada catcher Jennifer Sharrock, who was in attendance Tuesday.

Swank stole three bases and scored two runs with a walk. Davis knocked in one run, and Myers drove home one run with a single. As a team, the Pirates drew four walks and struck out 10 times.

Weather permitting, the Bulldog girls visit tough league rival Liberty-Benton (2-3) on Wednesday, April 1 in the Blanchard Valley Conference lidlifter. Then, the next three Bulldog contests are at home. 

The dominating Bulldogs have tallied 65 runs in their five victories, while allowing 18 runs. 

WP-Griffith (2-0) LP-Worcester Sv-Dewese

2B-Preston (A), Griffith (A), Shanks (A)

3B-Griffith (A)

HR-S. Fleming (A)