Showdown in Punxsutawney: Lady Chucks Edge Lady Tide 1-0

PUNXSUTAWNEY – Under the lights. Big crowd. Two powerhouse high school softball squads. One is 16-0 coming in, the other 12-2.

When the smoke settled it was the Punxsutawney Lady Chucks winning a big battle against visiting Curwensville Tuesday night 1-0.

The heartbreaking loss was the first for the Lady Tide, now 16-1, and breaks a 33-game regular season winning streak dating back to a loss against Clearfield, 5-2, on April 9, 2008.

Punxsutawney, a AAA school, moves their record to 13-2 after losing two straight games by one run each. DuBois beat Punxsutawney 3-2 in eight innings on Friday night and it was Hollidaysburg winning Monday night over the Lady Chucks 2-1.

Curwensville stranded 10 runners, three at third base, while out hitting the Chucks 8-3 in the tough luck loss. Tide pitcher Holly Lansberry struck out 10 Punxsutawney batters and didn’t allow a runner to reach third base until the winning run scored for the Lady Chucks in the bottom of the seventh with two outs.

Curwensville moved Erin Bressler to third base in the top of the third but she never made it home. Bressler had led off the inning with a walk.

In the top of the fourth Jenessa Stiles, for the Lady Tide, led off with a single, only to be left standing at third when that inning was over.

It was the sixth inning that had the Lady Tide scratching their heads when it was all over. Catcher Ashley Demchak hit a single to get Curwensville started and moved to third on a double by Jenessa Stiles that wasn’t that far from going over the left field fence.

The Lady Tide were in business. Runners on second and third, no one out.

Then, as she did all night long, Lady Chuck hurler Angie Burke worked her magic as she got the next three Tide hitters out to stop the Curwensville threat. Stacey Johnson popped back to Burke for out number one. Leftfielder Sara Clark hit a shot to second base that just missed going through to right field for two RBI’s, but was caught by Lady Chuck Ashlee Spack instead. Tide second baseman Jenae Stiles ended the inning and the scoring opportunity by popping out to third base to halt the Lady Tide’s best chance of the night.

Punxsutawney scored the game winner in the bottom of the seventh when lead off batter Angie Laska beat out a bunt for an infield single. Allie Miller sacrificed Laska to second on another bunt, back to Lansberry, for the first out. The Lady Tide ace then struck out Sarah Ruehle for out number two. Up stepped first baseman Taylor Powell who, on a two-two pitch, just eked one by Tide third baseman Jenessa Stiles into left field for the game winning hit and RBI. Lady Tide leftfielder Sara Clark made the throw to home in an attempt to gun down Laska. However, it was a just a little late and Laska scored the game\’s only run to give the Lady Chucks the win.

That run was the only earned run scored by the opposition this season against Curwensville in 17 games.

Jenessa Stiles did her part for the Tide going three for three with a double. Centerfielder Tess Bloom chipped in with two singles.

On paper the Lady Tide outplayed their hosts and head coach Allen Leigey was gracious in defeat saying, “We did all we could, it just wasn’t, for some reason, meant to be.”

Then the Tide mentor added, “We just couldn’t come up with the clutch hit when we needed it. Just one of those games when you outplay your opponent but it doesn’t show in the win column. But this team is resilient, and they will bounce back.”

Elk County Catholic travels to Curwensville Wednesday in another key game for the Lady Tide. The Tide knocked off the Crusaders earlier this season 2-0. The first place Lady Tide are 12-0 in the District 9 Northern Allegany League Small School Division Southern Tier standings. Game time is 4:15 pm.

CURWENSVILLE – 0 Holly Lansberry p 3000, Tess Bloom cf 4020, Shannon McDonald ss 4010, Ashley Demchak c 4010, Jenessa Stiles 3b 3030, Stacey Johnson 1b 3000, Sara Clark 3000, Jenae Stiles 3000, Erin Bressler rf 2010. TOTALS – 29 0 8 0

PUNXSUTAWNEY – 1 Angie Burke p 3000, Angie Laska ss 3110, Allie Miller cf 2010, Sara Ruehle c 3000, Taylor Powell 1b 3011, Jenna Reitz 3b 1000, Shawna Crago pr 0000, Ashlee Spack 2b 2000, Sarah Depp rf 2000, Hailee Pifer lf 2000. TOTALS – 21 1 3 1

SCORE BY INNINGS              R  H  E
CURWENSVILLE   000 000 0  0  8   0
PUNXSUTAWNEY 000 000 1  1  3  1

(Two outs when winning run scored)

ERRORS – Laska. LOB – CURWENSVILLE 10 PUNXSUTAWNEY 2. 2B – Jenessa Stiles. SAC – Miller, Lansberry, Johnson. HBP – Reitz (By Lansberry)

PITCHING
CURWENSVILLE Lansberry 6 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 10 K, 1 HB
PUNXSUTAWNEY Burke 7 IP, 8 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

WP – Burke LP – Lansberry (16-1)

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