PHOTOS By Mark Andreasen / CLICK to enlarge

By Cort Reynolds

ADA__The Ada High School softball team rode a six-run fifth inning to rally and defeat visiting Elida 8-5 on a warm and windy Thursday evening, March 26.

The Bulldog girls trailed 2-0 through three frames before tying it with two runs in the home fourth. Ada exploded for six runs in the bottom of the fifth, then held off a late Elida rally to win.

Ada improved to 2-0 with the win. WBL foe Elida dropped to 1-2 after the loss.

“We hit the ball pretty hard, Elida played some good defense,” said fifth-year Ada head coach Jeff Bassitt. “I thought Tea pitched a good game. It was a good team effort.

“It was nice to get a win against a solid WBL team,” he remarked.

Ada freshman hurler Tea Griffith won her varsity pitching debut in the battle of the Bulldogs. She tossed a complete game, allowing six hits and three earned runs over seven innings. She struck out six and walked three. 

Elida’s Maddie Kill hit a two-home run to right field in the second frame to put the visitors on top early. Griffith managed to pitch around a throwing error later in the inning with the aid of a double play.

Down 2-0 in the home second, Ada junior Dailah Preston slugged a long fly down the left field line that was caught near the corner of the fence.

In the top of the third, Elida threatened to add on. Yet Summer Wibley stabbed a hard line drive at first base to record the first out. But a walk and an infield single, followed by two steals, put runners on second and third.

Griffith then reared back and retired the next two batters on a pop-out to second base and a strikeout to wriggle out of trouble. It turned out to be a key point in the game since Elida could have lengthened its lead, but was unable to.

Elida hurler Mia Mammone set the Bulldogs down in order in the home third. In the top of the fourth, Griffith pitched around a pop-up that twisted fair inside the line just behind third base. The hard-throwing freshman bounced back to earn a called third strike whiff on a 3-2 pitch to end the threat.

Ada rallied to tie it in the bottom of the fourth with small ball. Reese Jordan started the rally by punching a single up the middle, then stole second base. Griffith walked and Wibley laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt toward third. Only a fine backhand scoop by the Elida first baseman prevented a throwing error.

Aubry Jordan then dropped down an RBI bunt single up the first base line to score her sister and cut the deficit to 2-1. Preston followed with another bunt single to load the bases.

“We had some really nice bunts in the fourth inning,” said the Ada coach.

Freshman Shay Smith tied the game with a run-scoring walk. After a 3-2 called third strike, Emily Shanks hit a hard grounder to third base. The Elida defender threw home to get the force-out at the plate and keep the score tied, 2-2.

Griffith put Elida out in order in the top of the fifth. Sophie Fleming ignited the Ada fifth with a single to shortstop, followed by a stolen base. Reese Jordan singled to left and stole a base. Griffith walked to fill the bags again.

With Mammone rattled, Elida brought in reliever Katleyn Mack. Wibley greeted her by stroking a two-run single to the gap in left-center field that put Ada on top for good at 4-2. Aubry Jordan looped a single to left but a runner was thrown out at third base.

Preston smacked a single to center to score Wibley and make it 5-2. Smith grounded a sharp single to right field that plated Aubry Jordan to provide a 6-2 advantage. 

Gabby Fleming bunted up the first base line, and the catcher’s throw from behind caromed off her helmet on the fly to the second baseman backing up the play. Hustling Preston and Smith both raced home on the odd play to extend the margin to 8-2.

In the top of the sixth, Elida rallied to score a run with two hits. But Liv Walters rounded second base too far after hitting a double and was tagged out by Emily Shanks to help stymie a potentially bigger inning.

In the top of the seventh, Elida’s Delaney Miller slugged a two-run home run to cut the lead to 8-5. However, Griffith was able to regroup and preserve the victory.

Third sacker Reese Jordan rapped out three singles and scored two runs to lead the Ada offense. “Reese had a good night,” said Bassitt. Preston hit two singles and collected one RBI. 

Smith amassed a hit and two RBI while scoring a run. Maycie Dewese singled and made a nice catch of a foul ball near the fence late in the game. Sophie Fleming singled and scored a run. Wibley contributed the big tie-breaking two-run single.

Losing hurler Mammone gave up four earned runs on five hits and three hits over four frames. She struck out three. Kill slammed a home run, singled and scored two runs. Miller also smacked a two-run homer and walked. 

The host Bulldogs out-hit Elida, 9-6. Ada committed three errors compared to two miscues by Elida. 

“We had seven different players get hits,” noted Bassitt. 

Ada entertains Lima Central Catholic (0-1) Saturday at 11 a.m. The first four Bulldog games are scheduled at home, and eight of the first nine are home contests.

“We just have to keep doing the little things to get better,” Bassitt said. “We are a young team.”

WP-Griffith (1-0) LP-Mammone 

2B- Walters (E )

HR-Kill (E ), Miller (E )