PHOTOS by Mark Andreasen / CLICK to enlarge

By Cort Reynolds

ADA__The undefeated Ada High School softball team jumped ahead early and dominated visiting Blanchard Valley Conference foe Vanlue 19-0 in the league opener on a cool, windy Monday evening, April 6.

The Bulldog girls scored five runs in the first frame and later plated nine runs in a lengthy fourth frame to win the mercy-rule shortened game.

Ada improved to 7-0 overall and 1-0 in the BVC with the victory. Vanlue fell to 1-3 overall and 0-1 in BVC play after the loss.  

“It was nice to win a BVC game,” said fifth-year Bulldog head coach Jeff Bassitt. “Reese Jordan had a very good game. Tea did a good job pitching.”

Freshmen hurlers Tea Griffith and Aubry Jordan combined to not allow a Vanlue hit over five innings.

Sophomore shortstop Emily Shanks started the game with a single and stole two bases. After a walk, junior Reese Jordan doubled two runs home. Two errors, a walk and a fielder’s choice helped push the lead to 5-0.

In the second inning, Shanks singled and scored again after an error and a Jordan single. Ada led 8-0 after two innings.

Griffith struck out two in the Vanlue third. Jordan singled to right field in the home third, and Summer Wibley lined a two-run homer over the fence in center field to stretch the lead to 10-0. 

After two strikeouts, Shanks walked and stole second, but she was stranded. Griffith pitched around an error in the fourth behind two whiffs.

Ada then blew the game wide open in the fourth. The speedy Jordan smacked a double into the left-center gap to ignite the inning. After a fly-out, Brooklyn Roberts ripped an RBI single to left-center to score Jordan. 

Aubry Jordan then lined a shot just over the center fielder’s glove near the fence for a double and a 12-0 margin. Wibley knocked in a run with a fielder’s choice grounder to shortstop that Roberts beat home.

Aubry Jordan scampered home on a wild pitch, and Taliana Parker was hit by a pitch. After an out, freshman Maycie Dewese slugged a triple into the right-center field gap to make it 16-0.

Reese Jordan then sliced a shot into right field for another triple and an RBI. After a Simon walk, Roberts delivered a run-scoring double to left field. Simon scored on an error to cap the nine-run outburst.

Aubry Jordan came in to hurl the fifth inning and struck out two Wildcats to pitch around an error and close the shutout.

Sweet-swinging third sacker Reese Jordan was a perfect 4-4 in hitting with two doubles, a triple and a single. She drove in a career-high five runs.

Shanks hit two singles, scored twice, walked once and stole three bases. Roberts collected a single and a double, two RBIs and one run. Aubry Jordan rapped out two hits, scored three runs and added one RBI.

Wibley homered and doubled to drive in five runs, a career-high. Sophie Fleming scored twice, walked once and stole a base. Gabby Fleming had a run and one RBI, and was hit by a pitch. Parker scored a run, while Dailah Preston added one RBI. Simon added a run.

Griffith struck out nine and allowed no runs with no hits over four innings to earn the win. She issued one walk and also drove home one run. Aubry Jordan hurled one hitless frame with two whiffs to finish the combined no-hit whitewash.

Ada out-hit Vanlue 12-0 with seven extra-base hits, and capitalized on several Wildcat errors.

The Bulldog girls host another league foe in McComb (2-1, 0-1 BVC) on Wednesday, April 8. The Panthers lost 9-1 to Van Buren on Monday.

The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 95-21 in their seven victories. 

WP- Griffith (3-0) LP-Brooks  

2B-R. Jordan 2 (A), Roberts (A), Wibley (A)

3B-Dewese (A), R. Jordan (A)

HR-Wibley (A)