SHEFFIELD – The night was billed as a doubleheader, but the Curwensville Area High School softball team made a short night of a long drive to notch two victories over Sheffield Monday. The Lady Tide needed only seven total innings for the wins routing the Wolverines 15-0 and 16-0 respectively.
Coaches are always worried that after long bus rides teams will come out flat. Curwensville (6-0) set the tone of the afternoon early as they got off the bus swinging and scored 9 runs in the first inning. On the day, the Lady Tide slapped out 25 hits, scored in all but one inning and committed just one error.
“I think we are right where I thought we’d be at this point in the season,” said Tide Head Coach Alan Leigey. ” Defensively we have been playing pretty clean and making the plays we need to make. Offensively, we’re hitting the ball up and down the line-up.”
The Lady Tide collected at least one hit in all but one spot in the starting line-ups of both games. Even the ninth spot in the order, with two different batters collected four hits in sophomores Hannah Bressler and Madi Peterman. Bressler scored twice on her two hits including a double. Peterman singled twice and scored twice in the nightcap.
“They’re giving me a pretty pleasant, difficult decision,” Leigey said of his right-fielders who bat ninth. “I start one, and it pushes the other to do well. Madi and Hannah had great games for us tonight.”
On the mound for the Tide, Stacey Johnson kept the Wolverine bats hitless in both games, striking out 11 for the evening while walking 11. The two no-hitters and shutouts were Johnson’s firsts of the season.
“Stacey threw too many pitches for both games, mostly in the second,” Leigey noted. “But with the cushion that we had, we tried some different things for the future. She loaded the bases a couple times, but mowed them down and kept them from scoring.”
In the first inning of the first game, Curwensville used six hits including doubles by Molly Demchak, Rachel Holland and Bressler to collect the quick nine-run start. After coming up empty in the second, four straight singles by Sara Clark, Tess Bloom, Johnson and Demchak helped push four more runs across for a 13-0 lead. Demchak pushed the final two runs across in the fourth with her second double of the game that ended the contest at 15-0 after four innings.
Demchak finished the first contest with three hits and four RBI’s while Johnson, Holland, Lindsay Barrett, Katie Wriglesworth and Bressler all had multiple hits.
Game two found Curwensville as the home team, and they proved to be the same kind of host as guests – relentless. Clark went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and five RBI’s. Johnson had just one official at bat in the game, but made it count with a second inning grand slam as part of a 10-run frame. In that second inning every starter crossed the plate as the Tide pounded out seven hits – both of Peterman’s singles came in the second allowing her to score twice.
“All-in-all it was a very positive trip,” said Leigey. “We hit the ball hard, and a lot of different bats made noise. I was very pleased with everyone’s effort.”
The Lady Tide are back in action today when they host Kane.
Game 1
CURWENSVILLE – 15
Sara Clark ss 4310, Tess Bloom cf 3310, Stacey Johnson p 3222, Molly Demchak 3b 4234, Rachel Holland lf 4121, Lindsay Barrett 1b 2121, Macy Palmer c 3000, Katie Wriglesworth dp 3121, Hannah Bressler rf 3220, Cheyenne Pentz flex/2b 0000, TOTALS – 29 15 16 1
SHEFFIELD – 0
Ashley Barr 2b 1000, Kristie Steffan ss 1000,Caryn Copley 3b 2000, Paige Moldovan p 2000, Hannah Vile 1b 0000, Kerrin Swartz c 2000, Juli Ely 1b 2000, Justine Barr dp 1000, Erin Fry rf 2000, Brittany Summers flex 0000 . Totals 13 0 0 4.
Score by Innings – R H E
Curwensville 9042xxx – 15 16 1
Sheffield 0000xxx – 0 0 4
ERRORS – Clark; Fry 3, Steffan LOB – Curwensville 6; Sheffield 6 2B – Demchak 2, Holland, Bressler HBP – Bloom (by Moldovan).
PITCHING
Curwensville – Johnson 4 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 5 BB 4 K 0 HB
Sheffield- Moldovan – 4 IP 16 H 15 R 9 ER 5 BB 3 K 1 HB
Game 2
SHEFFIELD – 0
S. Pollock 2b 2000, Kristie Steffan ss 1000, Justine Barr 3b 1000, Hannah Vile p 2000, B. Hoffman c 1000, Juli Ely 1b 0000, T. Rockwell 1000, Brittany Summers cf 1000, J. Mead rf 0000. Totals 9 0 0 5.
CURWENSVILLE – 16
Sara Clark ss 4235, Tess Bloom cf 3110, Stacey Johnson p 1214, Molly Demchak 3b 1200, Rachel Holland lf 3211, Lindsay Barrett 1b 3110, Macy Palmer c 1100, Tiffany Carter ph 0100, Katie Wriglesworth dp 3211, Madi Peterman rf 2222, Cheyenne Pentz flex/2b 0000, TOTALS – 21 16 10 13
Score by Innings – RHE
Sheffield 000xxxx – 0 0 5
Curwensville 1 10 5xxxx- 16 10 0
ERRORS – Mead, Steffan, Barr, Pollock 2, LOB – Curwensville 4; Sheffield 7 HR – Johnson (Grand Slam 2nd) 2B – Clark
PITCHING
Sheffield- Vile – 3 IP 10 H 16 R 13 ER 7 BB 1 K 0 HB
Curwensville – Johnson 3 IP 0 H 0 R 0 ER 6 BB 7 K 0 HB