CURWENSVILLE – A different day didn\’t bring different results for the Curwensville VFW Teener League 15-and-16 All-Stars, especially at the plate, Sunday at the Curwensville Area High School Field.
Hard-throwing Coltyn Wrye continued to dominate the Curwensville lineup, and Philipsburg-Osceola scored seven runs in the sixth inning for an 11-0 Mercy Rule victory in their Area VI game that had been suspended Tuesday because of rain.
In Part I, Wrye was working on a two-hitter and P-O led 2-0 when play was halted with two outs in the bottom of the third frame because of lightning. Ensuing thunderstorms sent the teams home early.
In Part II, the big right-hander, who experienced a rough inning in relief late in P-O\’s 10-5 loss to Punxsutawney Friday, was sharp again.
Wrye set down the first nine batters he faced before P-O misplays on grounders by Derek Brothers and Wes McGarry and a walk to Jed Greslick loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the sixth.
However, Wrye handled Andrew Redden\’s roller to the right side to cap his two-hit, 11-strikeout shutout.
\”Colt threw the ball extremely well,\” Curwensville manager Denny Johns said. \”I have nothing but praise for that young man. He\’s very impressive. We just never really threatened against him.\”
McGarry had dueled Wrye Tuesday, but the left-hander hurled the final three innings for Curwensville\’s 6-5 win at Punxsy Thursday, so Johns went with Brothers Sunday.
A double play started by shortstop Greslick bailed him out of a two-on, one-out situation in the fourth, but control problems cost Brothers two runs in the fifth. He issued pairs of walks around Wrye\’s single, Reggie Coval and Brady Woods credited with the RBIs.
When Brothers walked Jeremy Pollick on four pitches to start the sixth, Nick Opaliski relieved and registered a quick strikeout.
Then, P-O broke the game wide open.
After two more free passes filled the sacks, Logan Walstrom walloped a double to deep center for two runs, a throwing error on the relay giving the visitors another tally.
\”That double was the real back-breaker,\” Johns said.
Tom Cheskey lined a single to right for an RBI and Wrye ripped his fourth hit of the game through the left side to make it 9-0.
One out later, hits by Woods, Adam Gallaher and Pollick and a bases-loaded walk to Trey Siegfried extended the rally to seven runs and set up the early finish.
Of the nine P-O batters who walked, six came around to score. Three of the free passes forced in runs.
\”You\’ve got to make \’em beat you with their bats, and when you put \’em on too often, walks just come back to kill you and that really played out to be the case,\” Johns said.
\”2-0 we were in the game. Even at 4-0, I thought we were in the game, but that double really took the wind our of our sails.\”
Johns is hoping for a big turnaround in his team\’s final two games of the tourney that will produce two qualifiers for the state championships at Mount Union next week.
\”I didn\’t feel our guys really showed up today,\” he said. \”I didn\’t think we had the effort and the intensity that we need when we step on the field against a team like Philipsburg.
\”But I want to take nothing away from Philipsburg. They\’re a good ball club. They\’re well coached. And they just beat us.
\”The good news is it\’s 1-1 for all of us, and if we bounce back and play ball the way we\’re capable of playing, we\’ll be fine.
\”I guess we\’ll know 24 hours from now whether we do that or not.\”
Curwensville will visit Philipsburg Monday and host Punxsutawney Wednesday in 5:30 p.m. games.
PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA — 11
Logan Walstrom ss 3212, Tom Cheskey cf 3321, Coltyn Wrye p 4143, Reggie Coval 2b 3001, Brady Woods c 3111, Adam Gallaher 3b 4011, Jeremy Pollick rf 3120, Trey Siegfried lf 3001, Brett Hutton 1b 2200, Nathan Harris eh 2100. TOTALS: 30 11 11 10.
CURWENSVILLE — 0
Derek Brothers c-p-c 3000, Wes McGarry p-cf 3000, Jed Greslick ss 2010, Andrew Redden 2b-c-2b 3000, Shae Best cf-lf 2000, Garrett LaBorde 1b 2000, Alex Holland lf-rf 2000, Nick Opaliski 3b-p 2000, Tyler Milliron rf-2b-3b 1010, Anthony Starr ph 1000. TOTALS: 21 0 2 0.
Score by Innings
Philipsburg-Osceola 101 027 – 11 11 3
Curwensville 000 000 – 0 2 4
Errors – Woods, Gallaher, Siegfried; Greslick 2, Redden, Opaliski. DP – Curwensville (Greslick and LaBorde). 2B – Walstrom; Greslick. SB – Cheskey 2.
Pitching
Philipsburg-Osceola – Wrye 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 K.
Curwensville – McGarry 3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K; Brothers 2+ IP (faced 1 batter in 6th), 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 2 K; Opaliski 1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 K.
WP – Opaliski 2.
W – Wrye (1-0). L – McGarry (1-1).
Umpires – Scott Viehdorfer and Hank Wilson (home plate); Al Fricke and Jay Siegel (bases).