PUNXSUTAWNEY – After erasing a 3-1 deficit, the Curwensville VFW Teener League 15-and-16 All-Stars scored three runs in the sixth inning and then outlasted Punxsutawney 6-5 in Area VI action at Rich Kuntz Memorial Field Thursday evening.
Wes McGarry ignited the game-winning rally with a double to right center. Jed Greslick broke the 3-3 tie with a single down the third base line. Andrew Redden chased him home with a triple to deep left center and scored what proved to be the deciding run on a wild pitch.
McGarry also was the winner in relief of Garrett LaBorde, but not before Punxsy made it interesting with single runs in the sixth and seventh innings.
\”To beat a veteran ball club that has the high school and legion experience Punxsy has is a big step for our kids,\” Curwensville manager Denny Johns said.
\”When you\’re in a four-game, round-robin series, that first one is a big one to get, because if you lose, the pressure mounts in a hurry.\”
Curwensville struggled early on, leaving the bases full in the first inning and getting only one run in the second after Alex Holland and Nick Opaliski singled and Tyler Milliron sacrificed. Holland scored on a groundout by Derek Brothers.
Punxsy took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second, thanks to a throwing error on Jordan Mesoraco\’s bases-loaded forceout, and threatened to break the game open in the third. However, Curwensville second baseman turned Tyler Skerkavich\’s bases-loaded line drive into a double play.
The hosts did add a singleton off LaBorde in the fourth on Spencer Levy\’s RBI-single.
Curwensville tied the score in the fifth on Redden\’s RBI-double to deep left and a throwing error on Shae Best\’s grounder
LaBorde was pulled after the first two Punxsy batters got aboard in the bottom of the frame, and McGarry came on to shut the door.
\”Garrett gave us four good innings,\” Johns noted.
Presented with the three-run lead in the sixth, McGarry kept Punxsy at bay, though the losers made it close on Mesoraco\’s RBI-single in the sixth and Kyle Mann\’s RBI-groundout in the seventh.
McGarry, who had pitched three innings against Philipsburg-Osceola Tuesday in a game suspended because of rain, ended the game with his third strikeout. He walked one and allowed three hits.
Eight players had hits for Curwensville, McGarry and Redden checking in with two apiece.
\”And only three strikeouts,\” Johns said. \”That\’s what I was encouraged about.
\”It was a nice team win. We had a couple of errors that hurt, but overall, we played good defense and supported both pitchers.\”
Levy\’s three singles and Dylan Kachmar\’s single and double led Punxsy.
\”When you look at the runners left on base, both teams had their chances,\” Johns said. \”The pitchers for both teams got tough when they had to and worked out of tight jams.\”
Curwensville will be at home Sunday for the completion of the suspended game with P-O starting at 5 p.m. and will travel to Philipsburg Monday for a 5:30 p.m. start.
CURWENSVILLE — 6
Derek Brothers c 4011, Wes McGarry 1b-p 3220, Jed Greslick ss 3111, Andrew Redden 2b 4222, Shae Best cf 4000, Garrett LaBorde p-1b 3010, Alex Holland lf 3110, Kyle Kyler lf 1000, Nick Opaliski 3b 3010, Tyler Milliron rf 1000, Anthony Starr rf 1010. TOTALS: 30 6 10 4.
PUNXSUTAWNEY — 5
Dylan Kachmar ss 3120, Dane Kopas cf 3010, Kyle Mann 3b-p 4001, Braedon Pennington rf 4010, Tyler Skerkavich eh 2110, Kyle Neal c 2210, Chase Tibbs p-3b 3100, Spencer Levy 1b 3031, Jordan Mesoraco 3012, Devon Neal lf 2000, Tyler Wingard lf 1000. TOTALS: 30 5 10 4.
Score by Innings
Curwensville 010 023 0 – 6 10 2
Punxsutawney 020 101 1 – 5 10 2
Errors – Redden, LaBorde; Kachmar, Mann. PB – Brothers. DP – Curwensville (Redden and Greslick); Punxsutawney (Mesoraco and Levy). LOB – Curwensville 11; Punxsutawney 10. 2B – McGarry, Redden; Kachmar. 3B – Redden. Sac – Milliron 2. SB – Kachmar, Tibbs 2, Levy.
Pitching
Curwensville – LaBorde 4+ IP (faced 2 batters in 5th), 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K; McGarry 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K.
Punxsutawney – Tibbs 6 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K; Mann 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.
HB – Tibbs 2 (McGarry, Opaliski). WP – LaBorde 1; Tibbs 1.
W – McGarry (1-0). L – Tibbs (0-1).
