ALLPORT – Here we go again. Unfortunately.
In 2007 the Curwensville High school baseball team lost eight times. Five of those losses were by one run. \”Déjà Vu all over again\”, quoting Yogi!
This year’s Golden Tide squad have lost four games. Hey! Not all by one run! Nope. Two by two, and two by one.
On Friday afternoon Curwensville visited West Branch in Moshannon Valley League (MVL) action and came up short by one run, 9-8. The Warriors pushed across four runs in the bottom of the seventh to win the squeaker. Earlier this season the Tide defeated the Warriors, 6-1.
Curwensville has now lost four of it’s last seven and drops to 8-4. All four losses have come by a total of just six runs. It was also the first loss for the Tide in MVL play as they now stand at 4-1. The Warriors stand at 6-4 on the 2008 season and have made things very interesting in the MVL as they now have a 3-1 mark.
It was one of those back and forth games at Allport as after three innings the two squads were all knotted at 3-3. Each team scoring one in the first and two in the third..
Curwensville would do very well in the top of the fourth as they touched home plate four times and after the Warriors batted in the bottom of the fourth inning the Tide had a 7-3 bulge. Things looked good for the visitors. For awhile, anyway.
The Warriors started to make a move in their half of the fifth inning when they tallied two runs to cut into Curwensville’s lead at 7-5. Once again the Tide found some offense and picked up a run of their own in the top of the sixth.
After six, it was Curwensville 8, West Branch 5. Then, ouch for the Tide !!! A big ouch !!!
The Warriors had one out with no one on base to start their half of the last inning, the seventh.
Chris Beveridge singled, as did Tyler Meersand. A walk to Chris Dotts and hello, the Warriors had the sacks full with still only one out.
Head coach of Curwensville, Ryan Briskar, pulls relief pitcher Sam Gardner in favor of Wes McGarry.
Lance Kolesar of the Warriors greets McGarry with a single that drives home two teammates. Now we stand at 8-7, still in favor of Curwensville.
Next up for the West Branch squad is first baseman Ethan Lidgett. Ouch again !
Lidgett hits it at Tide shortstop Brett McCracken, and it ricochets off the foot of McCracken and rolls down the left field line. Another run in for the Warriors. Now all tied at 8-8. Kolesar keeps on trucking from second base however as McCracken retrieves the ball.
Perfect throw from McCracken in short left field to the plate to nail Kolesar. One more ouch !
As Curwensville catcher Cory Bloom applies the tag it appears that the game is still tied. Kolesar is nailed in plenty of time. Then the ball trickles out of the mitt of Bloom and Kolesar is now safe.
The Warriors win 9-8.
Briskar commented, “We have got to learn to put people away when the opportunity presents itself. We just need to regroup and remain calm. I am sure we will be fine. We play MoValley (Moshannon Valley) Saturday so we don’t have time to dwell on this one game.”
As for McCracken, “Brett got us in the game and kept us there. He had three hits and six RBI’s. Without him we aren’t in this game.”
Ben McGary, Gardner and Horton had two hits apiece to go along with the three by McCracken for the Tide.
The Warriors had four players with two or more hits. Kolesar and Gavin Luzier each had three while Lidgett and Meersand stroked two.
The game saw a total of six extra base hits with four being triples. Of those four three baggers West Branch had three, Luzier, Kolesar and Lidgett. McGarry legged out triple for the Tide.
The Tide are back in action Saturday, at home, against Moshannon Valley, at 2 pm, in a crucial MVL contest. Curwensville beat the Black Knights last Saturday, 15-6.
CURWENSVILLE – Ben McGary p/cf 3321, Wes McGarry rf/p 3210, Jed Greslick lf/rf 1100, Brett McCracken ss 4036, Mark Dell’Antonio 1b 4000, Jesse Hoover 2b 2000, Brett Sutika 2b 2000, Andrew Straw 3b 0000, Trevor Horton dh 4120, Sam Gardner cf/p/lf 4020, Cory Bloom c 3100.
TOTALS – 30 8 10 7
WEST BRANCH – Tyler Meersand p/cf 4120, Chris Dotts cf/rf 4112, Lance Kolesar 2b 5332, Ethan Lidgett 1b 5122, Jeremy Kanouff c 4010, Gavin Luzier 3b 4031, Dylan Corl ss 4110, Ryan Wesesky rf/lf 4010, Chris Beveridge lf 1000, Justin Kopchik p 3210.
TOTALS – 38 9 15 7
SCORE BY INNINGS R H E
CURWENSVILLE 102 401 0 8 10 2
WEST BRANCH 102 020 4 9 15 0
One out when winning run scored in bottom of the 7th inning.
ERRORS – McCracken, Sutika. LOB – CURWENSVILLE – 6 WEST BRANCH -1.
2B – McCracken, Horton. 3B – McGarry, Luzier, Kolesar, Lidgett. SB – McGarry, McGary, Greslick, Gardner. SAC – Corl, Wesesky.
PITCHING IP H R ER BB K
CURWENSVILLE
McGary 3 8 3 3 0 1
Gardner 3 1/3 6 6 4 3 1
McGarry 0 1 0 0 0 0
WEST BRANCH
Meersand 3 2/3 6 7 6 5 5
Kopchik 3 1/3 4 1 1 0 4
WP – Kopchik LP – Gardner