BROCKWAY – In 2007 the Curwensville Lady Tide softball team edged Smethport 4-3 in the District 9 Class “A” semi-finals. On Thursday afternoon in Brockway, Smethport returned the favor with a 2-1 squeaker over the Tide. This time though it was for the District 9 Class “A” Title.
It was a classic pitching duel between aces of both teams, Holly Lansberry for the Lady Tide and Emma Hahn for the Lady Hubbers. Lansberry gave up just four hits while striking out 8. Hahn surrendered five singles and struck out 9. Both right handers went the distance.
Curwensville head coach, Allen Leigey, said afterwards, “I told the girls that Smethport has been waiting 365 days for a chance at us again. Both teams played very well and they (Smethport) were certainly up to the task.”
Smethport wasted no time getting on the board as they picked up the games first run in the very first inning. It all happened with two outs when Lady Hubber, Taylor Burdick, beat out an infield single and came home on a line drive double down the left field line by Lauren Kinniburgh.
The Lady Hubbers wouldn’t even threaten Curwensville with another run until the top of the seventh inning. Over the next five innings Lansberry, with a cumbersome looking knee brace on her right knee, gave up only one hit and a walk, allowing Smethport to strand just one runner.
Lansberry hyper-extended her right knee in the victory over DuBois Central Catholic last Wednesday in the District 9 quarter-finals. The Lady Tide junior did not bat in the championship game.
The Lady Tide would leave two runners on base in the bottom of the second and again in the third.
In the second, Tide sophomore, Stacey Johnson, would get a one out single to be followed by another sophomore, Tess Bloom, with a single of her own. Hahn, however, would knuckle down and get the next two outs without any damage being done. Erin Bressler grounded into a fielders choice and Morgan Peterman went down swinging, ending the Tide’s first threat.
Curwensville put more pressure on Smethport in the bottom of the third when Lauren McKeown led off for the Tide and was promptly hit by a Hahn pitch. Lindsey Barrett came in as a pinch runner and moved to second on a sharp single up the middle by Sara Clark, another sophomore, giving the defending PIAA champions runners on first and second with no outs. After Jenessa Stiles struck out Shannon McDonald grounded into a fielder’s choice which erased Barrett with out number two. Hahn then got Tide catcher, Ashley Demchak, to ground out to first to end another Curwensville threat.
Finally, in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Lady Tide broke through with a run of their own to tie it at one each after six full innings.
Stiles started the inning off with a single to center and moved to second on a ground out by McDonald. Demchak then punched a single to right field which brought home Stiles with the tying run.
Leigey thought the Tide were in good shape, “Once we tied it up in the bottom of the sixth I thought for sure we would get at least one more and pull off the win.”
Demchak moved to third on a wild pitch but was left stranded as Hahn struck out Johnson and Bressler. Bloom reached base on a walk in between Johnson and Bressler and then promptly stole second were she too would be stranded.
Smethport got a one out double by Hahn, to help her own cause, in the top of the seventh. Hahn moved to third on a grounder back to Lansberry. With two outs and Courtney Schuler batting for the Hubbers, the Tide committed a passed ball allowing courtesy runner, Lisa Master (for Hahn), to race home with the go ahead run.
Hahn put the Lady Tide down in order in the bottom of the seventh to give Smethport their first District 9 title since 2004. It was the eighth time since 1994 that the Lady Hubbers have played for the District title. Smethport runs their season record to 20-1 with the win over Curwensville.
In the past four years the Lady Hubbers are now 81-10 overall. Smethport will play in the first round of the PIAA State Playoffs Monday at Brockway against the District 7 third place team.
Leigey mentioned, “We had our opportunities, but we just couldn’t come up with the big hit today. About the state playoffs, the Lady Tide coach said, “We are going to regroup. We aren’t ready to pack it in. Anything can happen, so we will give it our best shot.”
Curwensville will travel to Penn State-Behrend in Erie on Monday to meet District 10 champion Cambridge Springs in the opening round of the PIAA Class A Playoffs. The Lady Tide defeated Cambridge Springs in the PIAA semifinals last year, 4-0.
The Lady Tide are now 20-2 on the 2008 season, with the loss to Smethport breaking their 19 game winning streak.
SMETHPORT – 2 Diana Phalon ss 3010, Alyssa Cunningham 2b 3000, Taylor Burdick dp 3110, Lauren Kinniburgh 2011, Emma Hahn 3010, Lisa Master cr 0100, Bobbi Mitchell 3b 3000, Courtney Schuler lf 2000, Kayla Berlin rf 3000, Erica Lathrop 1b 2000, Amanda Vossler flex/cf 0000. TOTALS – 24 2 4 1
CURWENSVILLE – 1 Sara Clark lf 4010, Jenessa Stiles 3b 3110, Shannon McDonald ss 4000, Ashley Demchak c 3011, Stacey Johnson 1b 3010, Katie Wriglesworth pr 0000, Tess Bloom cf 2010, Erin Bressler 3000, Morgan Peterman 2b 3000, Lauren McKeown dp 2000, Lindsey Barrett pr 0000, Holly Lansberry flex/p 0000. TOTALS 27 1 5 1
SCORE BY INNINGS R H E
SMETHPORT 100 000 1 2 4 0
CURWENSVILLE 000 001 0 1 5 1
ERRORS – Johnson LOB – CURWENSVILLE – 6 SMETHPORT – 2. 2B – Kinniburgh, Hahn. SB – Bloom HBP – McKeon (by Hahn)
PITCHING IP H R ER BB K
SMETHPORT
Hahn 7 5 1 1 1 9 1-HB
CURWENSVILLE
Lansberry 7 4 2 1 2 8
WP – Hahn LP – Lansberry (18-2)
