CURWENSVILLE – In a tougher than perhaps expected quarter-final game, the Curwensville Lady Tide softball team won a hard fought battle over Clarion-Limestone 4-0 on Wednesday to advance to the semi-finals of the District 9 Class “A” tournament.
Lady Tide senior Holly Lansberry tossed her seventh no-hitter of the year allowing only one base runner, which came on a Tide error in the fifth inning. Lansberry, who is now 19-1 on the season, struck out 15 batters to push her career mark to over 800 strikeouts, ending the afternoon with 809.
Curwensville would score all of the runs they would need in the bottom of the first inning when they tallied three times.
Lansberry lead off for the Tide with a single and moved to second on an outfield error. With one out, Shannon McDonald drew a walk giving the Lady Tide runners on first and second.
Back to back singles by catcher Ashley Demchak and third baseman Jenessa Stiles brought home the three first inning runs. Demchak’s hit drove home Lansberry, while the single by Jenessa Stiles brought home McDonald and Demchak.
The Lady Tide would add the valued insurance run in the bottom of the fourth as Jenae Stiles led off with a single and was pinch run for by Lindsay Barrett who stole second. Then with two outs Tess Bloom hit a sharp grounder to second baseman Brianna Bennett of the Lady Lions who promptly booted the ball into short centerfield. Barrett alertly raced home from second to score the fourth and final run of the game for Curwensville.
Clarion-Limestone would only have one runner reach base all afternoon as Rachel Callen put down a bunt in the fifth and was safe at first on an error by Curwensville.
The Lady Lions end their season at 9-4 under first year head coach Frank Wolbert, Jr.
Allen Leigey, Curwensville head coach said afterwards, “Holly (Lansberry) once again pitched her game. She is truly a big game pitcher for us. She was in complete control and was never even close to being in danger.”
As for the hitting star of the game Leigey added, ”Jenessa (Stiles) really came through for us at the plate, especially in the first inning when her single drove in two runs. She, Holly, and Ashley (Demchak) each had two hits.”
Then he talked about his team\’s offense, “I think we are in somewhat of a little funk right now. We get girls in scoring position but just can’t seem to get them home as we did earlier in the year.”
Curwensville stranded eight runners against the Lady Lions in six innings.
Curwensville (20-1), the number two seed, will now face Brockway on Tuesday at a site and time still yet to be determined in the District 9 semi-finals. The Lady Rovers, who have the three seed, beat Elk County Catholic on Wednesday 3-2 in a quarter-final game. The Lady Tide have met Brockway twice this year winning both games 5-0, and last Saturday 8-1.
In the other semi-final battle on Tuesday it will be top seeded Coudersport going up against the number four seed Clarion at a site and time to be determined. Coudersport beat AC Valley and Clarion knocked off Smethport in Wednesday’s other quarter-final action.
Follow Lady Tide softball on WOKW-FM, 102.9, as the station will carry the Tuesday semi-final game with Brockway.
CLARION-LIMESTONE – 0 Olivia Pinson ss 3000, Brianna Bennett 2b 3000, Jade Walker c 3000, Heather Clover 3000, Rachael Callen lf 2000, Ashley Stewart 3b 2000, Steph Lutz rf 2000, Ali Edmonds cf 2000, Krysta Fuller p 2000. TOTALS – 22 0 0 0
CURWENSVILLE – 4 Holly Lansberry p 4120, Tess Bloom cf 3000, Shannon McDonald ss 3110, Ashley Demchak c 3121, Jenessa Stiles 3b 3022, Stacey Johnson 1b 2010, Sara Clark lf 3000, Jenae Stiles 2b 3010, Lindsay Barrett pr 0100, Morgan Peterman 2b 0000, Erin Bressler rf 3000. TOTALS – 27 4 9 3
SCORE BY INNINGS R H E
CLARION-LIMESTONE 000 000 0 0 0 3
CURWENSVILLE 300 100 X 4 9 1
ERRORS – Jenae Stiles, Edmonds, Bennett 2. LOB – CLARION-LIMESTONE 1 CURWENSVILLE 8. DP – CLARION-LIMESTONE. SB – Demchak, Barrett
PITCHING
CLARION-LIMESTONE Fuller 6 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
CURWENSVILLE Lansberry 7 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 15 K
WP – Lansberry (19-1) LP – Fuller (7-3)