CURWENSVILLE – A 23-hour respite didn\’t affect Colton Wrye\’s pitching against the Curwensville Teener League 15-and-16 All-Stars Wednesday night at the Curwensville Area High School Field.
Philipsburg-Osceola\’s big right-hander, who had logged two impressive innings before heavy rains stopped the crucial Area VI Tournament game a night earlier, closed out a three-hit shutout in similarly strong fashion for a 7-0 victory.
Wrye struck out 12 and walked four for his second win of the tourney, putting P-O in the driver\’s seat at 2-1 going in to Thursday\’s tourney finale at home against Punxsutawney (1-2). A win would wrap up the championship for P-O.
However, Curwensville still has a chance for the title with its 2-2 record. That scenario is possible only if Punxsy manages to beat P-O and score at least four runs.
If that happens, all three teams would be 2-2 and Curwensville would reign because of the second tiebreaker: fewest runs allowed.
Wrye might have ended Curwensville\’s run, though.
\”He pretty much was in cruise control all night,\” Curwensville manager Denny Johns said in praising the P-O pitcher\’s performance. \”We were a little flat, but he had something to do with that, too.
\”I figured by the time we saw him for the second time, we\’d at least put the ball in play, but he just took the bats out of our hands. We just never hit anything with authority. Ben (McGary) had a double to right center that was the hardest ball we hit all night.\”
McGary\’s two-bagger leading off the fourth inning was followed by a walk to Jed Greslick that posed Curwensville\’s only real threat.
\”I felt if we got a couple or three runs there, we\’d be back in it, but he just shut us down,\” Johns said.
Wrye, working with the seven-run cushion, protected his shutout by retiring the heart of the Curwensville lineup on a flyout and two strikeouts.
P-O was ahead 2-0 with runners at first and second with one out in the third inning when the suspended game was resumed. The visitors quickly stretched the lead to 4-0 on RBI-singles to right by Brandon Myers and Storm Bumbarger off Wes McGarry, who was pitching in relief of starter Sam Gardner.
\”Sam\’s shoulder was a little stiff, so we made the switch and came with Wes,\” Johns explained.
McGary, who notched Curwensville\’s two tourney wins, relieved McGarry in the fourth inning, when P-O ended the scoring.
Tom Cheskey walked, Gavin Luzier sacrificed and Wrye rapped a two-out single to center for one run. After an error and another walk filled the bases, Myers stroked a two-run single to right off McGary.
P-O collected a dozen hits off the three Curwensville pitchers, including two each by Wrye and Myers.
\”They were aggressive,\” Johns said. \”They swung the bats, and they forced the issue.\”
McGary had two hits for Curwensville, which needs a big assist from Punxsy to advance to the state tourney.
PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA – 7
Tom Cheskey cf 3110, Craig Callovini ph 1000, Gavin Luzier c 2110, Paul Hahn ss 4110, Colton Wrye p 3022, Andrew Weitoish pr 0100, Kody Bennett 3b 4211, Tim Martin 2b 3110, Brandon Myers eh 3023, Storm Bumbarger 1b 2011, Steve Rusnak lf 3010, Jeremy Phillips ph 1010, Ryan Wesesky rf 2000, Jeremy Pollick ph 1000. TOTALS: 32 7 12 7.
CURWENSVILLE – 0
Ben McGary 1b-p 3020, Jed Greslick cf-lf-3b 2000, Sam Gardner p-cf 2010, Jesse Hoover ss 3000, Cory Bloom c 2000, Derek Dixon rf-1b 3000, Derek Brothers eh 3000, Wes McGarry lf-p-rf-lf 2000, Brett Sutika 2b 1000, Tyler Johns 3b 1000, Andrew Starr rf 1000. TOTALS: 23 0 3 0.
Score by Innings:
Philipsburg-Osceola 004 300 0 – 7 12 0
Curwensville 000 000 0 – 0 3 1
Error – Hoover. LOB – Philipsburg-Osceola 12; Curwensville 6. 2B – Phillips; McGary. Sac – Luzier. SF – Wrye. CS – Gardner (by Luzier).
Pitching
Philipsburg-Osceola – Wrye 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 12 K.
Curwensville – Gardner 2-1/3 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K; McGarry 1-1/3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K; McGary 3-1/3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K.
HB – Gardner 1 (Luzier). WP – Gardner 2, McGarry.
W – Wrye (2-0). L – Gardner (1-0).
Umpires – Garry Shirey (plate), Hank Wilson (bases).
