CURWENSVILLE – The Curwensville VFW Teener League 15-and-16 All-Stars wrapped up the Area VI championship by outlasting Punxsutawney 11-9 at the Curwensville Area High School Field Thursday afternoon.
Derek Brothers and winning pitcher Garrett LaBorde combined to drive in five runs and Jed Greslick shut out the visitors the last 2-1/3 innings for the save as manager Denny Johns\’ team finished the double-round robin tournament 3-1.
Punxsy then traveled to Philipsburg and edged Philipsburg-Osceola 4-3 for a 2-2 record and will join Curwensville in the state tournament that begins next Thursday at Mount Union. P-O wound up 1-3.
\”We got a lot of walks and had a couple of key hits at opportune times, and Jed came in and threw strikes,\” Johns summed up his team\’s effort.
Curwensville coupled nine of its 10 hits with seven of the eight walks issued by the first two Punxsy pitchers to build an 11-3 lead through four innings.
Loser Kyle Mann couldn\’t find the plate, issuing three passes around a single by Wes McGarry to force in a run that tied the game, which had been postponed because of rain Wednesday evening.
Chase Tibbs relieved and logged one out before LaBorde singled to right for two runs and Nick Opaliski doubled, the lone extra base hit in the contest, to make it 5-1.
The hosts didn\’t let up, banging out six singles for four more runs in the second to lead 9-2.
After hits by LaBorde, Opaliski and Alex Holland loaded the bases, Tyler Milliron beat out an infield single for an RBI, Brothers singled to left for two ribbies and Greslick added a run-producing single.
Curwensville added its final two runs against Tibbs without a hit in the fourth.
Following an error and two walks, Anthony Starr picked up an RBI on a fielder\’s choice and Brothers walked to force in a run.
Punxsy made it interesting in the fifth when LaBorde tired and reliever Redden also had control problems.
Five walks, a hit batsman and three hits, the big one a two-run single by Dominic Bevak, added up to six runs before Greslick got the final out on his second pitch.
\”The hardest hit ball was that last out,\” Johns said. \”Mann pounded one to short that Andrew backhanded and threw to first with the bases loaded. That was a big play.\”
Greslick, who did not pitch much during the regular season, allowed only one hit in the last two frame to preserve the two-run lead, although Punxsy had the tying runs at second and third when Redden handled Dane Kopas\’ sharp grounder for the final out.
\”Jed threw strikes and gave us what we needed at that point of the game,\” Johns said.
PUNXSUTAWNEY — 9
Tyler Wingard 1b 3101, Dane Kopas cf 4111, Kyle Mann p-rf 4121, Tyler Skerkavich eh 2111, Spencer Levy eh 0000, Chase Tibbs rf-p-lf 3111, Braedon Pennington lf 1100, Taylor Neal 2b 2000, Kyle Neal 2b-p 3110, Jordan Mesoraco 3b 1001, Joe Pisano 3b 1111, Dominic Bevak c 4122, Zak Dickey ss 1000, Brodie Lowmaster ss 1000. TOTALS: 30 9 9 9.
CURWENSVILLE — 11
Derek Brothers c 2213, Wes McGarry 1b-cf 5110, Jed Greslick ss-p 3111, Andrew Redden 2b-p-ss 2101, Shae Best cf-lf 3211, Garrett LaBorde p-1b 4122, Nick Opaliski 3b 3221, Alex Holland lf-rf 2110, Kyle Kyler rf 1000, Tyler Milliron rf-2b 2011, Anthony Starr rf-2b 2001. TOTALS: 29 11 10 11.
Score by Innings
Punxsutawney 111 060 0 – 9 9 2
Curwensville 504 200 x – 11 10 1
Errors – Wingard, K. Neal; LaBorde. LOB – Punxsutawney 12; Curwensville 9. 2B – Opaliski. Sac – Tibbs. SF – Mesoraco. SB – Wingard, Kopas, Mann, Skerkavich, K. Neal; Greslick.
Pitching
Punxsutawney – Mann 0+ IP (faced 4 batters in 1st), 1 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K; Tibbs 3-1/3 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 5 K; K. Neal 2-2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K.
Curwensville – LaBorde 4-2/3 IP, 8 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 6 BB, 4 K; Redden 0+ IP (faced 3 batters in 5th), 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K; Greslick 2-1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 2 BB.
HB – Redden 1 (Lowmaster).
W – LaBorde (1-0). L – Mann. Save – Greslick (1).
