“We had runners on quite a bit today, just didn’t come up with those couple of hits to produce some runs,” RTR head coach Darren Baartman said. “Now we’ve got to figure out a way to get a little more productivity offensively and understand when we’ve got runners on base, we’ve got to figure out a way to get those runners home.”

The runs came early and often in Thursday’s game. Maddie Cummings hit a leadoff single before scoring the Dragons’ go-ahead run on an Audrina Tiesler double deep toward the wall, and Tiesler scored on a Brekkyn Dreesen ground out to give Adrian a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the first, RTR answered when Baartman worked an eight-pitch walk, Jaida Fricke was hit by a pitch and Paisley Thooft beat out a bunt single to load the bases with no outs. Grace DeVries grounded out to score Baartman, but a strikeout and a ground out ended the rally with the Knights still trailing by a run.

Both teams retired the side in order in the second inning, with Fricke inducing pop outs on the first two at-bats of the top half before striking out the third batter. Yet, the Dragons’ bats came roaring back in the second. Kaylyn Urdahl singled and scored when Tiesler reached on a ground-ball error, and Dreesen doubled to score Tiesler for a three-run cushion.

Photo by Jake McNeill: Russell-Tyler-Ruthton shortstop Laken Baartman trots around the bases after hitting a home run during a Red Rock Conference softball game against Adrian/Ellsworth, Thursday in Tyler.

Baartman got a run back for the Knights on the first pitch in the bottom of the third, crushing a homer to straightaway center field to cut the deficit in half. Yet, that hit marked the last time a Knight crossed home plate for a run.

“Any time you get big hits like that, whether it’s Laken or anybody else, that builds momentum,” coach Baartman said. “Within the team, it builds excitement and things like that. We’ve got to string more of that together consistently throughout the batting order and be more aggressive at the plate once in a while and it’ll come.”

Fricke started in the circle for RTR, persevering through after taking a pitch to the knuckles in the bottom of the first. She struck out six batters while surrendering four earned runs on 10 hits and a walk in a complete-game effort.

“Jaida’s done a nice job pitching. Defensively, we had a couple mistakes in the field, but for the most part in our first couple games, we’re making some plays defensively and making the routine plays which we really harped on,” coach Baartman said.

Adrian/Ellsworth loaded the bases in the top of the fifth with two singles and an intentional walk with two outs, but Fricke induced an infield pop-out to get out of the jam and keep RTR within striking distance.

Photo by Jake McNeill: Russell-Tyler-Ruthton right fielder Kynsi VanderPlaats throws the ball into the infield during a Red Rock Conference softball game against Adrian/Ellsworth, Thursday in Tyler.

Dreesen pitched all seven innings for Adrian/Ellsworth, limiting RTR to a pair of earned runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

A Tiesler double and a Jenniges single put runners on the corners with one out in the top of the seventh. Dressen lined a single into right field to drive in both runners before back-to-back ground outs ended the inning.

Trailing by four runs, RTR had one last shot to force extras in the bottom of the seventh but Adrian/Ellsworth retired the side in order to end the game.

Russell-Tyler-Ruthton falls to 0-2 on the season and next hosts Wabasso today at 4:30 p.m. for a non-conference matchup.

BOX SCORE

Photo by Jake McNeill: Russell-Tyler-Ruthton shortstop Laken Baartman (17) celebrates with her teammates at home plate after hitting a home run during a Red Rock Conference softball game against Adrian/Ellsworth, Thursday in Tyler.

BATTING

L. Baartman: 1-3 (HR), RBI, BB, 2 R; J. Fricke: 1-2, HBP; P. Thooft: 1-2, HBP, SB, SO; G. DeVries: 0-3, RBI; P. Johanssen: 1-3; D. Cruz: 0-2, BB.

PITCHING

J. Fricke: L, 7 IP, 6 SO, 6 R, 4 ER, 10 H, BB.