One that got away

Jeff Cali Sports Editor

Shawnee September 03, 2008 06:24 pm

— Of all of Ada’s tough losses this season, this one had to sting the most.
In their third meeting of the fall with Tecumseh, the Lady Cougars lost a 2-1 lead when the Lady Savages scored a run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game.
Then, if that wasn’t frustrating enough, Ada scored two runs in the top of the eighth only to see Tecumseh score three times in the bottom of the inning to steal a 5-4 victory Friday afternoon at a steamy Shawnee Tournament.
Earlier in the day, Ada’s scoring woes continued as the Lady Cougars dropped a 6-0 decision to Carl Albert.
Ada (5-8) defeated Guthrie 6-2 on Saturday to get back on the winning track (see capsule, page 6B).
Tecumseh 5, Ada 4
(8 Innings)
After being shut out during its first three tournament games, Ada finally broke a string of 24 straight scoreless innings with a pair of runs in the top of the third inning.
Shelbey Franz led off the inning by lining a double past Tecumseh center fielder Autumn Walker. Deede Thompson then safely reached first after a dropped third strike and Amory Morgan — one of five freshman Ada head coach Scott Simpson inserted in the starting lineup to try and get more offensive production — grounded into a fielder’s choice to leave runners at the corners with one out.
Jenna Huling loaded the bases when her bunt died just a few feet in front of home plate for a single.
Freshman catcher Taryn Jack followed with a two-run double to left-center field to give the Lady Cougars a 2-0 lead. But Tecumseh ace Kim Billie escaped further damage when — after Lindsey Elliott walked to again load the bases — she got back-to-back infield flies to end Ada’s big inning.
Ada pitcher Hanna Huling, after stranding the bases loaded with a a big strikeout in the bottom of the second, retired 12 of 13 batters — including the first two in the top of the sixth. But THS star Pebbles Paxson blasted a two-out double and scored on an RBI hit by Kenra O’Shell to trim Ada’s lead to 2-1.
Then, in the bottom of the seventh, Hailey Hernandez drew a one-out walk for Tecumseh, was sacrificed to second by Tahnee Prewett. Huling then got Micha Laughlin to hit a tapper back to the mound, but her throw to first sailed over the head of Blakely Franz, allowing the tying run to score.
Ada responded with two runs in the top of the eighth when Jack again camp up with a clutch hit, driving in two runs with a single that scored tie-breaker runner Thompson and Jenna Huling, who had singled up the middle.
But used three consecutive singles in the bottom of the eighth by Paige Lenaburg, Paxson and O’Shell (who drove in the game tying and winning runs) to score three runs without an out to secure the win.
Billie (14-5), who struck out five of Ada’s first six batters, finished with nine punch-outs and allowed just five hits.
O’Shell lead the Tecumseh offense with a 3-for-4 outing while Paxson added two hits and two runs.
Jack and Jenna Huling had four of Ada’s five hits.
Carl Albert 6, Ada 0
The hard-hitting Lady Titans (ranked No. 2 in Class 5A) scored three runs on the strength of four hits in the top of the second inning to grab a 4-0 lead and cruised to the victory.
Ada again had trouble offensively, managing two hits off CAHS pitcher Whitney Robinson.
The Lady Cougars best scoring opportunity actually came in the bottom of the first when Shelbey Franz was beaned by a pitch, went to second on a groundout. After Hanna Huling walked, Rainee Easley singled to left field. Franz tried to score on the play, but was thrown out on a perfect throw by Jessica Ganther.
Franz reached on an error in the bottom of the sixth and eventually got all the way to third but was left stranded.
Kristin Blasingame led the Lady Titans at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
The Lady Cougars return to action Thursday, when they host Shawnee at 5 p.m. and get another shot at SHS ace Ashley Brokeshoulder — who had an incredible Friday at the Lady Wolves own tournament. In a 1-0, nine-inning victory over McAlester, Brokeshoulder struck out 24 before whiffing 13 more later in the day in a 4-0 victory over Durant.

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