CURWENSVILLE – Senior Night for the Curwensville Area High School softball team honored six Golden Tide players; however, visiting Punxsutawney showed little respect as the Lady Chucks cruised to a 10-1 victory Thursday.
Sara Clark, Tess Bloom, Stacey Johnson, Macy Palmer, Lindsay Barrett and Rachel Holland all played their final regular season game in black and gold, but hope to be far from done with the season. Curwensville will host Johnsonburg on Monday in the first round of the District IX Class A playoffs. The Lady Tide and the Ramettes split during their regular season meetings and will play for the right to play another day at 4:30 at Riverside Stadium.
In Thursday’s game with the Lady Chucks, Curwensville started strong with a single run in the first inning. Freshman Taylor Goodman worked the count full, but then was hit by a Kelsey Cook delivery after two outs. Johnson then walked and Hannah Bressler dropped a ball into center field to chase the speedy Goodman home for a 1-0 lead.
Good defense and strong pitching helped the Lady Tide hold the lead into the third inning when the visitors grabbed two runs. A one-out walk to Hannah Neal opened the door for the Lady Chucks. Taylor Powell followed with a single and Jenna Reitz walked to load the bases. Amber Lellock slapped a single to center to plate both runs for the 2-1 lead.
Punxsy took advantage after two outs in the fourth when Ashley Barenchik singled to right. After a stolen base, Neal ripped a double off the left-field wall to plate Barenchik for a 3-1 score.
While the Lady Tide worked hard to hold District IX’s top seed in the Class AAA Tournament within striking distance, the offense had a hard time getting anything started. Cook seemed to be on cruise control in the circle for the Chucks as Curwensville managed just seven base runners in the game.
Four of the Curwensville base runners came via free passes and one batter was hit. Cook struck out 10 batters while giving up just two hits. She allowed only two runners past second in the game.
In the sixth inning the Lady Chucks chipped away for another run as Angie Laska singled to open the frame. A stolen base and a wild pitch set her at third with one out when Megan Muth ripped a liner to left that was logged as a sacrifice fly and an RBI.
Then the seventh inning came.
“We played big for most of the game with a AAA team,” said Head Coach Allen Leigey. “I would have liked to get out of the game with at least a respectable showing, but the seventh inning did us in. We just ran out of gas.”
Six runs scored in the top of the sixth for Punxsutawney as Curwensville suddenly had trouble finding outs. Neal walked as the inning’s first batter. Powell and Reitz both singled to score the first run before an out was recorded. Shawna Crago doubled home two more runs down the left field line.
A walk to pinch-hitter Skylan Kopas and a passed ball put runners at second and third with one out. The game’s only error off the bat of Hannah Giavedoni and a single by Tia Davis finished the scoring at 10-1.
Johnson suffered the loss for Curwensville (14-6). She gave up 10 hits while striking out three and walking six batters
Powell and Laska slapped out two hits each for the Lady Chucks while Lellock and Crago drove in two runs a piece. Eight different players scored for the visitors who improved to 15-3 on the season.
Punxsutawney will play Clearfield next Wednesday in DuBois for the District IX Class AAA Championship at 4:30.
The Lady Chucks were also victorious in junior varsity action.