By Cort Reynolds

ADA – The Ada High School baseball team battled but lost 5-0 to visiting non-conference foe Fort Jennings on Wednesday evening, May 7.

Ada had multiple runners on base in several innings but could not get the timely hit needed to break through with players in scoring position.  

FJ busted open a scoreless game with three runs in the top of the fourth frame and held on for the win.

“The kids played a great game,” said Ada head coach Toby Smith. “We hit the ball hard, it just didn’t drop in for us. We just need to keep doing the things we are doing, and those hits will come.”

Ada fell to 4-14 with the defeat. FJ improved to 12-5 after the shutout win. 

The Bulldogs out-hit the Musketeers 5-4 and drew three walks. The Bulldogs made two errors, compared to none by FJ. The Musketeers coaxed five walks.

Ada starter Mason Wibley pitched out of a two-on, none-out jam in the top of the third to keep the game scoreless. A force-out and flyball to center ended the Musketeer threat. 

In the bottom of the third Bulldog senior Kaine Fisher walked, stole second and advanced to third base. But he was stranded after a couple of ground-outs.

FJ broke through in the top of the fourth. After a line-out to third, Jarron Swick legged out an infield single and stole second. He scored the first run on an RBI single to left field to make it 1-0.

After Wyatt Gasser walked, Adam Hoersten smoked a double high off the left field fence to drive in two runs. Gasser barely scored the trailing run on a close play at the plate as Hoersten advanced to third on the throw home. 

Hoersten then tried to score after a pickoff throw to third went awry, but he was gunned down at the plate and tagged out by Andrew Allen.

In the Ada fourth, Thad Smith was hit by a pitch and stole second. Wes Mowery walked, but a grounder back to the pitcher ended the frame.

FJ tacked on a run in the fifth. Owen Calvelage doubled to the gap in right-center and advanced on an errant pickoff throw. He then scored on a well-executed safety squeeze bunt by Sam Dube to stretch the lead to 4-0.

Fisher beat out a swinging bunt to lead off the Ada fifth. He stole second, and Levi Green then easily legged out an infield grounder to third base. Allen laid down a sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third.

But southpaw reliever Brody Warnecke induced a foul pop-out to first base and got a key strikeout to stymie the Bulldog threat.

Ada reliever Blake Zoladz set FJ down in order in the top of the sixth. Smith again reached on an HBP and swiped second base in the home sixth. With two outs, Tyler Stauffer coaxed a walk. 

But Warnecke again stemmed the Bulldog threat with a strikeout to end the inning.

In the seventh, the Musketeers added an insurance run. Two walks and a sacrifice bunt advanced the runners to second and third, and a long sacrifice fly that Fisher ran down in deep center plated Hoersten. 

Calvin Menke entered to pitch the seventh for FJ. Green led off with a single to left, and Allen chopped a single over the third baseman’s head. Ada grounded into a force-out at third base, followed by a strikeout by Brody Rister. Zoladz then grounded to the third baseman, who stepped on third for the force play to end the game.

Ada left 11 runners on base, while FJ stranded just four.   

Ada senior shortstop Green led the offense with two singles. Bulldog sophomore catcher Allen contributed a single and a sacrifice.

Freshman Smith and Fisher each stole two bases. Fisher and Rister added a single apiece.

Wibley allowed four hits and three earned runs over five innings to get the loss. He struck out five and walked one.

Zoladz gave up an earned run on no hits and four walks over two innings of relief.

Hoersten earned the pitching win with four innings of one-hit, shutout hurling. He walked two and struck out one. Warnecke gave up two hits and no runs with two big whiffs in two innings of relief.

Menke pitched one scoreless inning to close it out despite permitting two hits plus a walk. 

Ada is scheduled to visit county rival Kenton (2-11, 0-7 WBL) Thursday in a non-league game.

123 456 7 R H E

FtJ 000 310 1 5 4 0

Ada 000 000 0 0 5 2

WP-Hoersten LP-Wibley 

2B-Calvelage (FJ), Hoersten (FJ)