By Cort Reynolds
The Ada High School baseball team dominated visiting Cory-Rawson 9-1 in Div. IV sectional semifinal first round action on a warm but overcast Tuesday evening, May 16 at the War Memorial Park diamond.
The Bulldogs improved to 9-14 with their fifth win in the last six games. C-R fell to 2-18 with the defeat.
The eighth-seeded Bulldogs advance to visit number two seed McComb (14-8) Thursday, May 18 at 5 p.m. in the sectional finals. Ada lost 8-0 at McComb April 4.
The winner moves on to the district semifinals at Findlay May 24. The district finals are May 26.
“Great tournament win tonight,” said Ada first-year baseball head coach Toby Smith. “Good pitching, baserunning, hitting and defense. We will need that type of effort Thursday if we want to win a sectional title.”
Ada scored in the bottom of the first inning and never trailed. Senior catcher Jacob Sutherly walked, stole second and came in to score on a groundout.
Ada senior Spencer Wall led off the second inning with a single and stole two bases to reach third. But he was stranded after two strikeouts.
In the top of the third, C-R threatened with a leadoff single and a two-out walk. But Wall struck out Carson Skulina to end the threat and strand two runners.
In the bottom of the third, Zach Neiswander reached on an error and stole second. Sutherly stroked a solid single to center field to put runners on the corners.
Levi Green beat out an infield single to third base to double the Ada lead to 2-0. Roman Snyder beat out a fielder’s choice after a force out at second, and Sutherly sped home from second base on the throw to first base to make it 3-0.
In the Hornet fourth, Wall gave up a leadoff single to Hank Walters. But he was erased trying to steal easily on a good peg by Sutherly. Snyder then ranged to his left and snared a soft liner up the middle.
Wall whiffed Austin Inbody to finish the half-inning.
Dalton Amos singled to center field and stole second to open the Ada fourth. C-R pitcher Blake Boehm tried to pick Amos off at second base but threw wildly into the outfield, allowing Amos to rumble to third base.
The Hornet outfielder backing up the play threw to third to try and cut him down, but the toss hit Amos as he was sliding and bounced away. He got up and chugged home, narrowly beating the throw home from third with a headfirst slide in a cloud of dust to provide a 4-0 cushion.
Mason Wibley singled and stole second. One out later, Levi Sousley smacked a hard grounder just past the second baseman to plate Wibley for a 5-0 lead.
The speedy Sousley stole third base but was stranded on a pop-out to shortstop.
In the top of the fifth frame, Connor Sons led off with a single. But Wall retired the next two batters on strikeouts, and got the third out on a grounder from Amos to Green at second.
In the bottom of the fifth, Ada tacked on two more runs. Snyder reached with one out when his grounder to first base was misplayed. On a well-executed hit And run, Wall bounced a hard grounder through t he vacated second base hole.
The ball bounded into the right-center field gap as Snyder raced home and Wall legged it all the way to third base for a triple and a 6-0 margin.
Amos was hit by a pitch, and Wibley drove in the seventh run on a sacrifice fly to left field.
In the top of the sixth, Boehm lined a double to center field leading off. But he was cut down at third trying to steal on a good throw by Sutherly.
Skulina walked and Walters reached base on a hard grounder to right field to place runners on first and third.
Hunter Foust drove in the lone Hornet run on a grounder to shortstop Snyder. Wall finished the frame with a called third strike to keep the margin at 7-1.
Ada scored two more runs in the home half of the sixth. With one out, Neiswander hammered a long solo home run well over the right field fence to make it 8-1.
The speedy Sutherly then beat out a triple to the gap in right-center. Green drove him in on a groundout for a 9-1 advantage. Snyder singled and reached second on a passed ball, but was stranded.
Snyder relieved Wall to pitch the seventh. A leadoff single by Sons was followed by a passed ball. Snyder then struck out the next two batters.
Ada finished the first-round win by inducing a soft line-out to Wall at shortstop off the bat of Jaiden Smith.
Wall struck out six and gave up just four hits and one earned run in six innings to earn the win. Snyder got two whiffs in one inning finishing up the seventh.
The Bulldogs touched Boehm up for 12 hits and six earned runs. He struck out seven and walked one over six innings.
Wall stroked an RBI triple, singled and scored two runs. Snyder singled twice, scored two runs and had one RBI. Sutherly hit a triple, singled and scored twice.
Max Puerto and Dalton Amos each collected a hit and a run. Wibley singled, scored a run and drove in one run. Sousley added an RBI double.
Ada stole nine bases, including two by Wall.
Sons had two hits to lead C-R. Boehm added a double.
Both teams left five runners on base.
C-R 000 001 0 – 1 5 1
ADA 012 222 x – 9 12 2
WP-Wall LP-Boehm
LOB--CORY RAWSON 5, ADA 5.
ERR-- Cosart, Levi Green.
2B--Boehm, Levi Sousley.
3B--Spencer Wall, Jacob Sutherly.
HR--Zach Neiswander.
HBP--Dalton Amos.
SB-- Walters, Spencer Wall (2), Mason Wibley, Levi Sousley, Jacob Sutherly, Roman
Snyder, Max Puerto, Dalton Amos (2).
PB-- Inbody (2), Jacob Sutherly.
BB--Skulina (2), Boehm, Jacob Sutherly.
CORY RAWSON IP H R ER BB SO HR
Boehm 6.0 12 9 6 1 7 1
ADA
Spencer Wall 6.0 4 1 0 3 6 0
Roman Snyder 1.0 1 0 0 0 2 0
