By Cort Reynolds

ADA__The Ada High School softball team scored early and often to trounce visiting Pandora-Gilboa 20-5 in a Blanchard Valley Conference mismatch on Monday, May 4.

P-G scored a run in the top of the first. But Ada responded with consecutive eight-run outbursts in the first and second innings to blow the game open.

Ada out-hit P-G 14-6, drew four early walks and took advantage of six Rocket errors. The Bulldogs committed three errors on the wind-swept evening.

Ranked 10^th in the latest Div. VI state coaches poll, Ada improved to 18-3 overall and 5-2 in the BVC with the lopsided victory. The Bulldogs are now 13-1 at home. 

Blanchard Valley Conference cellar dweller Pandora-Gilboa fell to 0-13 and 0-6 in BVC play after the road defeat.

“Alainee did a good job on her Senior Night,” said Bulldog head coach Jeff Bassitt. “Tea had a good night hitting, and Gabby had a big game. It was nice that everyone got to play.” 

Freshman Maycie Dewese pitched all five innings to earn the win, scattering six hits. She also swatted two run-scoring hits and tallied a run.

The Rockets tallied a run in the first on an error and a fielder’s choice grounder. Dewese struck out two to limit the damage to a single run.

Sophomore shortstop Emily Shanks walked and stole second to ignite the eight-run Ada first frame. 

Sophie Fleming smashed a grounder in the left-center gap and sped all the way to third as Shanks scored the tying run. Junior third baseman Reese Jordan beat out an infield hit to shortstop to bring home Fleming, and Ada never relinquished the lead.

Tea Griffith ripped a run-scoring double to left, then scored on two wild pitches to make it 4-1 with still nobody out.  

An out later, freshman Aubry Jordan reached base when her grounder to shortstop was misplayed. Buxton legged out an infield single to shortstop, and promptly stole second. 

Sophie Fleming lifted a high fly that the wind affected as it fell behind the left fielder for a two-run double. Shanks hit a soft liner, which the shortstop dropped, and a Sophie Fleming grounder drove in the eighth run of the first frame.

Dewese pitched around a walk and an error in the second inning. In the bottom of the second, the Bulldogs again exploded for eight runs as they batted around for the second straight time.

Griffith walked and Dewese lined a single to left, leading to a run on an error. Aubry Jordan singled to left to score Dewese and provide a 10-1 lead, and she advanced to third on the late throw home that was held up by the wind.

Buxton drove home a run with a ground-out. Junior outfielder Dailah Preston roped a double into the gap. Gabby Fleming looped an RBI double just inside the left field line to make it 12-1, then scored on a wild pitch. 

After two walks, Griffith lined a three-run homer over the fence in center field to extend the margin to 16-1.

An infield single by Jayda Schnipke, leading off the P-G third, eventually led to an RBI ground-out that made the score 16-2.

In the home third, Buxton smoked a one-out single up the middle. Brooklyn Roberts laced a single off the base of the fence in center field, and later stole second. 

Gabby Fleming knocked in Buxton with a single to left field. Tempy Simon drove in a run with a groundout. Gabby Fleming scampered home on a wild pitch to balloon the lead to 19-2.

Summer Wibley hustled out an infield hit leading off the fourth, then scored on a Maycie Dewese RBI single to left to stretch the margin to 20-2.

Schnipke doubled to deep center leading off the Rocket fifth. She then scored on a single to center. Bulldog Gabby Fleming made a spectacular diving catch of an infield blooper that went just over the glove of the outstretched Wibley behind first base.

A walk, an infield hit and a single led to two more Rocket runs. Dewese recorded the final out on a whiff to end the mercy-rule shortened game after 4.5 innings.

The Ada offense was in full flight. 

Gabby Fleming doubled, hit two singles, drove in four runs and scored three times to enjoy her best game of the season. 

Griffith drove in four runs with a three-run homer and an RBI single. 

Aubry Jordan collected two hits, two runs and one run batted in. Preston doubled, had one RBI and scored twice. Brooklyn Roberts singled off the fence and scored a run.

Shanks walked, stole a base and scored a run. Sophie Fleming drove in a run with a triple, scored twice, walked one time and stole a base. Reese Jordan had an RBI hit, scored two runs and drew a walk. 

Lone senior Buxton singled twice, scored two runs and had one RBI.

Dewese allowed three earned runs, struck out five and walked four.

P-G’s Schnipke amassed two hits, an RBI and scored two runs. Mackinley Gerten and Carlson drove in two runs apiece for the Rockets.

The Ada girls are scheduled to entertain state power Sycamore Mohawk (13-2) on Tuesday, May 5, weather permitting. Mohawk is ranked second in the Div. VII state poll.

WP-Dewese LP-Deken 

2B-Preston (A), G. Fleming (A), Schnipke (PG), Griffith (A)

3B-S. Fleming (A)

HR-Griffith (A)