PHOTOS by Mark Andreasen / Click gallery to view at your own pace

By Cort Reynolds

ADA – The Ada High School baseball team defeated visiting Blanchard Valley Conference foe Pandora-Gilboa 9-2 on a cool Monday evening, May 5.

The game was slated to be played at Pandora, but was switched to Ada due to wet playing fields. The Rockets officially were the home team.

The Bulldogs plated five runs in the first inning and never trailed. They tacked on single runs in the second, fourth, fifth and sixth frames to win going away.  

“We had solid pitching, solid defense and timely hitting,” said Ada head coach Toby Smith. 

Ada improved to 4-13 overall and finished 3-7 in the BVC with the win that snapped a seven-game losing skid.

P-G fell to 1-19 overall and 1-7 in BVC play after the defeat. 

Ada out-hit the Rockets 9-4 and drew five walks. The Bulldogs made two errors, compared to one by the Rockets.

Ada left seven runners on base, while P-G stranded six. 

Bulldog Wes Mowery earned the pitching win with four innings of three-hit baseball. He gave up two earned runs and walked two, while striking out three. Mowery also hit a single.

Ada senior shortstop Levi Green stroked three hits, scored three runs and stole three bases to pace the victorious offense.

Bulldog sophomore catcher Andrew Allen singled in one run. Mason Wibley doubled home a run, walked twice and scored a run.

Brody Rister scored two runs, was hit by a pitch twice and swiped a pair of bases. He also pitched three innings of scoreless relief. He gave up just one hit and struck out two.

Rister set P-G down in order in the sixth, then got the final two outs on a pop-out to Allen and a strikeout.

Freshman Thad Smith singled in two runs, scored two runs and swiped three bases. 

Bulldog sophomore Blake Zoladz drove in three runs with one hit. He scored a run. 

Senior Kaine Fisher singled and stole a base.

P-G losing pitcher Nolan Leatherman struck out 10 in four innings, but gave up eight hits, four walks and six earned runs.

Rocket shortstop Grady Kempf smacked a two-run double in the third inning to provide both P-G runs.

Ada is scheduled to host Ft. Jennings (11-5) Wednesday, and then visit county rival Kenton (2-10) Thursday in a pair of non-league games.

123 456 7 R H E

Ada 510 111 0 9 9 2

P-G 002 000 0 2 4 1

WP-Mowery LP-Leatherman

2B-Wibley (A), Kempf (P-G)