CURWENSVILLE – Two years removed from the 2007 PIAA Class “A” State Championship, the Curwensville girls softball squad still is a force to reckon with.
The Lady Tide will return 10 letter winners for the 2009 edition of Curwensville softball under the direction, once again, of head coach Allen Leigey. In 2008 the Lady Tide put together another 20 win season, at 20-3. Cambridge Springs ended the year for Curwensville, 1-0, in the opening round of the PIAA Class “A” playoffs.
Curwensville, at one point, had a 19 game winning streak and outscored their opponents 220-6 during the streak.
Senior pitcher Holly Lansberry will, yet again, be the focal point of the squad. Lansberry comes off another superb season, going 18-3 last year with a 0.46 ERA. The Tide leader also struck out 248 opponents while batting .485 and scoring 38 times.
With those ten letter winners returning, Curwensville is set at every position starting in the infield with Stacey Johnson, a junior, returning to first base. Johnson, who hit .319 last year, will also see some time from the circle.
Seniors Morgan Peterman and Jenae Stiles will do battle for time at second base. Peterman started all 23 games last year while Stiles was recuperating from an ACL injury.
As Leigey says, “We are in very good shape no matter who is at second base. Both Morgan and Jenae are extremely capable. So we have a terrific situation there.”
Senior slugger Shannon McDonald anchors shortstop not only with her glove but with her bat. Last year McDonald hit .455 with four home runs and 21 RBI’s.
Jenessa Stiles, another Lady Tide senior, is back at the “hot corner” in covering third base. Stiles, who smacked the ball last season in acquiring a .379 batting average, will also be utilized at catcher if need be.
Lansberry, McDonald and senior classmate Ashley Demchak are all within 13 hits of 100 for their career at Curwensville. Leigey took time to mention their impending feat, “Those girls are very, very competitive. Many times they will stay when practice is over to work on their hitting, or in Holly’s case, pitching.”
The outfield is just as strong as the infield starting with center field were junior Tess Bloom will roam. Last year Bloom hit .339 while scoring 19 times.
Another junior, Sara Clark, is a rock solid defender in left field were she committed only one error during all of 2008. Clark also was big on offense were she scored 29 runs.
Right field will be bolted down by Erin Bressler. Bressler was impressive at the plate last year hitting .403 and scoring 22 times. The senior also can be counted upon to pitch on occasion..
The Lady Tide should have a decent bench to count on with senior newcomer Hannah Walls, junior Lindsey Barrett and two promising freshmen in Madison Peterman and Molly Demchak.
Leigey says the only weakness on the squad may be the head coach, “If I don’t screw things up our potential is unlimited. We did shoot ourselves in the foot last year in our three losses, so we need to avoid doing that again.”
The Lady Tide will open their season on the road at Brockway on Tuesday, March 31, as they go up against the Lady Rovers. The Tide blanked Brockway in a double header last year, 13-0 and 10-0.
ROSTER:
Seniors – *Erin Bressler, * Ashley Demchak, *Holly Lansberry, *Shannon McDonald, *Morgan Peterman, *Jenae Stiles, *Jenessa Stiles, Hannah Walls.
Juniors – Lindsay Barrett, *Tess Bloom, *Sara Clark, Catelynn Fleming, *Stacey Johnson, Patty Koontz, Jolene Miller, Steph Neeper, Macy Palmer.
Sophomores – Natachi Cobbs, Carleigh Kuntz, Paige McCracken, Katie Wriglesworth.
Freshmen – Maria Angelo, Megan Barrett, Hannah Bressler, Nicole Daisher, Molly Demchak, Michaela Magnuson, Brittany Peoples, Madison Peterman, Savannah Strickland.
* Denotes letter winner.
SCHEDULE:
March – 31 – at Brockway (4 pm)
April – 2 – Ridgway; 3 – Glendale; 6 – at Johnsonburg; 8 – DuBois Central Catholic; 9 – at Harmony, 4 pm; 14 – Sheffield, DH, 4 pm; 16 – Kane; 20 – at Elk County Catholic; 22 – Brockway; 24 – at Clearfield, 27 – at Ridgway, 4 pm; 29 – Johnsonburg.
May – 1 – at West Branch, 4:30 pm; 4 – Moshannon Valley; 5 – at DuBois Central Catholic; 11 – at Kane; 12 – at Punxsutawney, 7 pm; 13 – Elk County Catholic.
Games start at 4:15 pm unless otherwise noted.