By Jeff Cali- The Ada News (www.theadanews.com/sports)
Ada student assistant coach Morganne Freeman had the answer to the question many were asking following the Lady Cougars’ 6-3 win over local and district rival Byng Monday at the Ada High Softball Complex.
Before Monday’s clash, when was the last time an Ada fastpitch team has bested Byng?
The answer, on a late September evening in 2016. The Lady Cougars ended that season with a 3-1 victory over the Lady Pirates. Freeman was the winning pitcher on that night, striking out eight with just three walks in a gutsy complete-game performance.
Ada head coach Taylor Henry was happy to see her squad end the drought against their neighbors to the north.
“Honestly, I think it was good for our kids to get past the name Byng. I think a lot of times our kids at Ada in the past, they see Byng and say ‘Oh shoot.’ It was really good for us to get over that hump,” said Henry. “Byng’s a good team. It was a good game. Byng’s always going to be good.”
The Lady Cougars improved to 5-2 overall and 2-1 in District 4A-2, while Byng dropped to 5-6 and 1-2.
Ada had tallied single runs in the first, third, fourth and fifth innings to build a 4-1 lead. However, Byng scored twice in the top of the sixth inning to make things interesting.
Hannah Boyd ripped a double to get the inning started for Byng and scored on an RBI hit by Alona Cooper-Rochovitz to get the visitors within 4-2. Cooper-Rochovitz stole third and raced home on Ada’s only error of the game to get her team within 4-3.
Alexa Thompson kept the inning going for the Lady Pirates with a base hit of her own and represented the tying run, but Ada finally escaped the frame without further damage.
Ada catcher Rylynn Truett appeared to suffer an ankle injury during a play at the plate, but stayed in the game after being checked out.
The Lady Cougars got two insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Abbey Strong led off with a base hit, promptly stole second and went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Josie Morgan. Strong scored when Amaya Frizell reached on an error to make it 5-3.
Frizell then stole second and raced home on a run-scoring base hit by Bradi Odom for the game’s final run.
“It was good again for us to face that type of adversity where we could either hang our head and feel sorry for ourselves or score more and hold them,” Henry said.
Byng made two of the best defensive plays of the game. In the bottom of the fourth inning, Cooper-Rochovitz made a nice running catch in left field to rob Ada’s Ariana Munoz of a hit. Later that inning, Frizell hit a smash to BHS freshman shortstop McKenzie Alford, who was forced to throw the quick AHS base runner out from her knees.
Strong led an eight-hit Ada offense, going 3-for-4 with a triple and two runs scored. Odom went 2-for-2 with two walks and an RBIs. Frizell finished 1-for-4 with a double and three runs scored. Elsa Munoz singled in her only at-bat for the home team, while Trenity Duval finished 1-for-2 with a walk.
Cooper-Rochovitz led a seven-hit BHS offense, finishing 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored. Thompson also went 2-for-3, while Mattie White had Byng’s other base hit.
Odom was the winning pitcher for Ada. The freshman hurler struck out eight, walked just one and surrendered two earned runs in her complete-game gem. Three Byng pitchers saw action in the circle — Thompson, Gracie Ragland and Havyn Miller. They combined for two strikeouts, seven walks and a hit batter.
It doesn’t get any easier for the Lady Cougars, who hosted Seminole on Tuesday and travel to the rugged Roff Fastpitch Tournament beginning Thursday. The Lady Cougars meet Stonewall at 6:30 p.m. in a first-round matchup.
“It’s only going to get tougher. But if they keep playing hard I think we’ll be OK,” Henry said. “It’s a very busy week for us. Seminole is coming in and they’re very salty and they have a really good pitcher. And the Roff tournament is always difficult. That’s why we like going down there. It’s 15 minutes down the road and we’re going to play good competition that’s going to make us work.”
Byng hosted OKC Classen on Tuesday and travels to Madill at 5 p.m. Thursday. The Lady Pirates will compete in the Coalgate Festival on Friday, battling the host Lady Wildcats at 5 p.m. and Antlers at 7 p.m.
For more Ada Cougars Sports visit www.theadanews.com/sports
