JOHNSONBURG – If there is such a thing as a Jekyl and Hyde syndrome, it showed up on the diamond for the Curwensville Area High School softball team on Thursday. The Lady Tide saw things get ugly in the fourth inning as Johnsonburg held on to a 14-12 decision.
The hosts scored in just one inning as 17 batters came to the plate in the bottom of the fourth. The Ramettes used seven hits, six walks and a hit batter to post all of their 14 runs. Prior to this half inning, Curwensville was leading the game 7-0.
The visitors opened the first with a solo run. Sara Clark ripped a two-out triple and was chased home by a Stacey Johnson double.
The score moved to 6-0 in the third as 10 Lady Tide batters faced pitcher Laura McAlee. Tess Bloom opened the frame with a single and stole second. Clark singled for an RBI, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on an infield throwing error. After two outs, the third run scored on a second error. The scoring ended with three straight singles by Cheyenne Pentz, Madi Peterman and Lindsay Barrett.
The Lady Tide added the seventh run in the top of the fourth as Johnson walked, designated player Macy Palmer singled and Hannah Bressler walked to load the bases. Taylor Goodman’s ground out chased Johnson home for the 7-0 mark.
Johnson looked to have things under control for the Tide in the circle through the first three innings. She had struck out six, walked no one and allowed just one hit and two base runners – one via an error. Then came the fourth inning.
In the fourth inning, Johnson issued four walks, allowed four hits, hit one batter and allowed 10 earned runs before giving up the circle to Bloom with no outs. Bloom was responsible for four runs – three earned – on four hits while walking one and striking out one as the nightmare inning ended with a 14-7 deficit for the visitors.
“I was disappointed with our effort,” said Head Coach Allen Leigey. “I just can’t explain what happened to us out there.”
Suddenly, the Lady Tide was in catch-up mode and found a way to score in the fifth. Clark walked with two outs and scampered home on Johnson’s second double of the game. Meanwhile, Johnson came back to pitch brilliantly the rest of the game. She recorded five additional strikeouts in the last two innings, walked one and gave up one hit enabling just two additional base runners.
The sith inning had the Tide back on the offensive. Bressler singled and moved to second on a wild pitch. Goodman reached via an error and Pentz singled to load the bases. Singles by Rachel Holland and Barrett as well as a walk to Bloom and a fielder’s choice to Clark all earned RBI’s for a 14-12 score.
Unfortunately for Curwensville, singles by Bressler and Goodman didn’t turn into scoring opportunities as the Ramettes finished the game with their third double play of the game.
Curwensville falls to 10-4 on the season and will look to regroup before hosting Dubois Central Catholic on Monday.
CURWENSVILLE – 12
Lindsay Barrett 1b 4023, Tess Bloom cf/p/cf 3111, Sara Clark ss/cf /ss 3322, Stacey Johnson p/ss/p 3222, Macy Palmer dp 5010, Hannah Bressler rf 4120, Taylor Goodman 3b 5220, Cheyenne Pentz 2b 4220, Madi Peterman rf 2010, Rachel Holland lf 2111, Tiffany Carter flex/c 0000, TOTALS – 35 AB 12 R 16 H 8 RBI.
JOHNSONBURG – 14
Paige Dececchis 2b 5121, Kianna Myers rf 3000, 3b 3100, Dani Dwyer c 2200, Justis Myers ss 3212, K.D. Zilkotski 1b 221, Erika Solorio lf 3220, A. Dilley ph 1000, Cassie Biondi lf 3110, Tomi Wildnauer rf 3100, Laura McAlee p 4222, Brittany Watts, flex/cf 0000, TOTALS – 30 AB 14 R 10 H 10 RBI.
SCORES BY INNINGS – R H E
Curwensville – 1 0 5 1 1 4 0 – 12 16 4
Johnsonburg – 0 0 o 14 0 0 x – 14 10 4
ERRORS – Carter 2, Pentz, Bloom; Dececchis 2, Myers, Zilkotski. LOB – Curwensville 11; Johnsonburg 6. 2B – Johnson 2; Dececchis. 3B – Clark. DP – Johnsonburg 3. SB – Bloom. PB – Carter. WP – Johnson 2, McAlee 2. HBP – Biondi (by Johnson).
PITCHING
Curwensville – Johnson 5 IP 6 H 10 R 10 ER 6 BB 10 K 1 HB
Bloom 1IP 4 H 4 R 3 ER 1 BB 1K 0 HB
Johnsonburg – McAlee 7 IP 16 H 12 R 7 ER 6 BB 1 K 0 HB