By Jeff Cali- The Ada News (theadanews.com/sports)
The Ada Lady Cougars scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the fifth inning to slip past Seminole 3-2 in a key District 4A-2 contest Tuesday at the Ada Softball Complex.
Coach Taylor Henry’s club improved to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in the district, while Seminole dropped to 5-4 and 2-1. Ada is currently second in the 4A-2 standings behind Perkins-Tryon, which is sitting at 12-2 overall and 3-0 in the district.
“It was another really good team win,” Henry said. “It was very important moving forward in district play.”
Ada will carry a modest four-game win streak into the 2021 Roff Fastpitch Tournament today. The Lady Cougars meet Stonewall at 6:30 p.m. in a first-round matchup. The Lady Longhorns are off to a good start in 2021, entering tournament play at 7-2 and ranked No. 13 in Class A. The 10-team field also included the host Lady Tigers (No. 1 in Class B), Tupelo (No. 12 in Class B), Cyril (No. 18 in Class A), Caney (No. 15 in Class B), Rattan, Davis, Lexington and Bethel.
Ada and Seminole were tied at 2-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning.
Freshman Ariana Munoz got the Lady Cougars started by ripping a one-out double. Munoz hustled to third when Abbey Strong was thrown out at first on a dropped third strike. That set the table for a clutch RBI single by Rylynn Truett that turned out to be the game-winning blow.
Seminole got runners at first and second with one out in the top of the sixth inning but a double play by Ada shortstop Amaya Frizell got the Lady Cougars out of that jam.
Ada scored its first two runs in the bottom of the first inning.
Strong led off the inning with a base hit and stole second. Frizell followed with a one-out double but Strong was held up at third on the play.
Bradi Odom drove in a run with an RBI groundout and Frizell scored from third base on a passed ball to put Ada ahead 2-0.
The Lady Chieftains tied the game with single runs in the second and fifth stanzas.
The Ada offense managed six hits by six different players. Odom and Josie Morgan had the other AHS hits.
The Seminole offense was led by Amerikus Street, who finished 2-for-2 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. Layla Griffin went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, while Natalia Sewell finished 1-for-2 with a double and a walk.
The game featured two solid pitching performances.
Odom captured the win for the home team. She struck out four, walked three, hit a batter and gave up two earned runs in the complete-game outing. Sewell, Seminole’s ace, struck out nine, walked one and gave up three earned runs in six innings.
The Ada offense produced six hits in the contest by six different players.
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