BELLWOOD – After struggling at the plate for four innings, Area VI runner-up Curwensville scored five runs in the fifth and six in the seventh to defeat Area V champion Mount Union 12-6 Thursday afternoon in the first round of the Pennsylvania VFW Teener League 15-and-16 Tournament.
The Curwensville All-Stars (3-2) will play Hollidaysburg in a winner\’s bracket semifinal Friday at 3 p.m. at Drost Field 1. Hollidaysburg, which was second to host Altoona in the Area IV tourney, pulled away from Area II runner-up Schuylkill North with five runs in the fifth inning for a 10-6 victory.
Pitcher Wes McGary had three hits while Jed Greslick and Nick Redden each had two to front Curwensville\’s 13-hit attack. Greslick, Redden and Sam Gardner drove in two runs apiece.
McGary went the distance on a six-hitter for his third playoff win in as many decisions. The left-hander struck out seven batters and walked six.
Trailing 2-0 entering the fifth, Curwensville quickly loaded the bases on when Redden walked, Cory Bloom was hit by a pitch and Derek Dixon\’s bunt turned into a single. Tyler Johns grounded out for an RBI. Then, with two outs, Wes McGarry\’s grounder was misplayed, McGary\’s RBI-single to right was misplayed and Greslick tripled for the fifth run.
Two-run singles by Gardner and Redden highlighted the seventh inning outburst. Greslick and Bloom drove in the other runs with singles. Brett Sutika and Jesse Hoover also had hits in the inning.
Sean Dixon, a tall left-hander who was a starter for the Mount Union High School team in the spring, started with three perfect innings before Curwensville started to get to him. He struck out eight before being relieved with after the winners got their runs in the fifth.
\”He threw the ball well,\” Curwensville manager Denny Johns said. \”When we came to bat in the fourth inning, I got on our team pretty hard and told them we needed to suck it up and get it done with the bats. Then they settled down, and you could feel the momentum start to shift in the fifth inning.\”
Neil Schroth had four hits and drove in three runs while Brendon Weaver cracked a two-run home run for Hollidaysburg, which took control with five runs in the top of the fifth inning for a 9-2 cushion.
Three Hollidaysburg hurlers combined for a four-hitter, striking out five and walking nine. Winner Tyler Sell pitched one-hit ball through three innings.
In other games, Area VI champion Philipsburg-Osceola lost a wild 15-12 game to Area II champion Schuylkill East and Altoona
edged Lebanon Nationals 5-3.
P-O scored in each of the first five innings to build an 8-5 lead, but Schuylkill East went ahead with six runs in the top of the sixth. The teams matched four-run rallies in the seventh.
Colton Wrye had three hits, including a double and a home run, and drove in four runs for P-O. Brandon Myers doubled and homered for two ribbies. Paul Hahn added a single and double with one RBI. Storm Bumbarger, the second of four P-O pitchers, took the loss.
Tony Foster drove in five runs for Schuylkill East.
Altoona\’s Andy Smithmyer carried a shutout into the seventh inning against Lebanon before allowing the Nationals\’ three runs. He finished with a two-hitter, striking out eight and walking seven. Ryan Harshbarger and Josh Wyandt drove in two runs apiece.
CURWENSVILLE – 12
Ben McGary p 4231, Jed Greslick lf 4122, Sam Gardner cf 3112, Jesse Hoover ss 4110, Nick Redden 3b 3322, Cory Bloom c 2011, Andrew Starr ph 0100, Derek Dixon 1b 4110, Tyler Johns eh 2001, Derek Brothers eh 2010, Brett Sutika 2b 4010, Wes McGarry rf 3200. TOTALS: 35 12 13 9.
MOUNT UNION – 6
Kyle Morrow ss 3001, Chuck Beaston cf 3100, Sean Dixon p-1b 3111, Cole Walters c 3121, Jason Long 1b-p-rf 2000, Brock Goodling 3b 3221, Darrien Walker rf 2000, Gavin Kuykendal ph-2b 1000, Josh O\’Leary 2b-p 2100, Bill Grubb eh-lf 2011, Ben Walters lf 2000, Elliott Clemons eh 1000. TOTALS: 27 6 6 5.
Score by Innings
Curwensville 000 051 6 – 12 9 2
Mount Union 020 012 1 – 6 6 2
Errors – Hoover , Bloom; Morrow, Walker. DP – Curwensville (Sutika and Dixon). LOB – Curwensville 6; Mount Union 5. 2B – Redden; Goodling 2, C. Walters. 3B – Greslick. SB – Greslick, Gardner, Hoover, Starr; Beaston, C. Walters, O\’Leary.
Pitching
Curwensville – McGary 7 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 7 K.
Mount Union – Dixon 4-2/3 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K; Long 1-2/3 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 3 K; O\’Leary 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.
HB – Dixon 1 (Bloom). WP – McGarry 1; Long 1.
W – McGary (3-0). L – Dixon.