By Cort Reynolds

ADA - The Ada baseball team lost to visiting rival Bluffton 9-4 in the Northwest Conference opener on a very chilly, damp Thursday evening.

The loss dropped the Bulldogs, playing for the first time in 10 days due to bad weather, to 1-1 overall and 0-1 in the NWC. The Pirates improved to 1-1 and 1-0 in the league after the win.

Ada led 3-1 after three innings, but Bluffton edged within 3-2 after four frames. The visitors broke it open with five runs in the fifth, and the Pirates added two more in the sixth for insurance.

Bulldog sophomore pitcher Phillip Coulson smacked two hits and drove in a pair of runs to pace the Ada offense. Senior shortstop Aaron Everhart contributed a double and a single.

Junior Jaylin Burkhart also had two hits and scored a run. Junior Ethan Hall doubled and scored, while Colten Shaffer contributed two runs. Everhart, Shaffer and Coulson also added a stolen base apiece.

Sophomore Landon Blankenship added the other Ada hit. Freshman Zac Swaney drove in a pair of runs.

Coulson scattered seven hits over six innings on the mound for Ada. He struck out nine Pirates and walked just one, while giving up four earned runs. He threw 65 strikes among his 97 pitches.

Winning relief pitcher Rayle slugged a key three-run double to pace the Pirates. Ada out-hit Bluffton, 8-7.

123 456 7 R H E

Blu 100 152 0 9 7 2

Ada 120 010 0 4 8 2

WP-Rayle LP-Coulson (1-1)

2B-Everhart (A), Hall (A), Rayle (B)

Ada is scheduled to visit non-league Hardin County rival Ridgemont (1-3) Friday.