Bronchos slip past Ada in 12 innings
Mar. 7—BETHANY — The Ada Cougars had victory in their hands Tuesday night against host Bethany in a District 4A-1 road matchup. and then the Bronchos snatched it right away.
After the Cougars scored twice in the top of the 12th inning, then Bethany scored three runs in the bottom of the frame to swipe a 4-3 victory over Ada.
Bethany improved to 2-1 on the spring season, while the Cougar fell to 2-2 heading into the Gulf Coast Classic next week in Alabama.
The Cougars open play next Monday at 9 a.m. against Lawrenceburg, Tennessee.
Bethany 4, Ada 3
(12 Innings)
The wild, extra-inning thriller overshadowed a gutsy pitching performance by Ada sophomore Chalin Robertson. He pitched nine full innings and finished with 10 strikeouts and five walks while allowing just one earned run.
"Chalin Robertson threw his tail off tonight. That may have been the best outing by a pitcher this early in the season that I've ever seen," Ada head coach Shane Coker told The Ada News. "He only needed 119 pitches to throw nine innings and left with no decision."
Josh Pierce hit a solo home run over the fence in left field to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning and put the Bronchos on top 1-0. It was the only hit Bethany was able to get off Robertson.
Ada answered in the top of the sixth inning after JD Dugan cracked a one-out double, hurried to third on a Bethany error and scored on an RBI groundout by Hunter McDonald that knotted the game at 1-1.
The Cougars manufactured two runs in the top of the 12th inning. Reid Samson drove home a run with an RBI single and Brayden McGilbray later scored on a wild pitch to put the Cougars ahead 3-1.
The Bronchos got a one-out, RBI double by Charlie Tolle in the bottom of the 12th that cut the AHS advantage to 3-2. Pierce then was the hero for Bethany again, driving in two runs with a big walk-off base hit.
Pierce was also masterful on the mound for Bethany. He struck out 18 and didn't walk a batter in nine stellar innings of his own. He allowed one run and two hits.
Keith Cook had the only other hit for the Cougars — a double later in the sixth frame after Ada had scored its first run. He was left stranded.
