The Tide at #5 were the highest remaining seed left after Elk County Catholic (ECC), the number 10 seed, knocked off number three seeded Clarion-Limestone in the first semi-final contest at Berwind Park 2-0. ECC will meet A-C Valley Thursday at 4:30 pm in St. Marys’ Berwind Park for the District crown.
Curwensville head coach Denny Johns talked about the tough loss, “We just didn’t put pressure offensively on them early in the game as we needed to do.” Then Johns added, “It hurts a lot tonight. We thought we had the team to win the districts this year with all due respect to our opponents.”
The Falcons picked up the game’s first runs in the top of the third inning off of Tide starter Sam Gardner with some two out lightning.
With two outs and no one on, a come backer to Gardner was bobbled by the senior hurler who then made a high throw to first for an error allowing Falcon Matt Bartley to reach safely.
Allan Eaton then walked which was followed by three straight singles for A-C Valley sending home both Bartley and Eaton putting the Falcons on top 2-0.
A-C Valley picked up another tally in the top half of the fourth frame, again with two outs and no one on, when pitcher Cole Smith singled and promptly stole second and third base. A Tide error later allowed Smith to score the third run of the game for the Falcons.
The Tide would get one run back in the bottom of the fourth as senior Brett Sutika reached on an error. Sutika would later steal third base and score on another error by the Falcons to cut the lead to 3-1 in favor of A-C Valley after four innings.
Falcon catcher Blayne McGuirk would get the Tide run back quickly in the top of the fifth. With one swing of the bat on the very first pitch of the inning McGuirk sent a rocket over the left centerfield fence and suddenly A-C Valley was once again on top by three, 4-1.
The Falcons would tack on two more run in their half of the sixth inning with McGuirk driving in those two runs with a single to center. On the afternoon McGuirk had three hits and four RBI’s.
Curwensville cut into the Falcon 6-1 margin with a tally in the bottom of the sixth with Wes McGarry scoring on a Sutika single.
It was the sixth that was heartbreak time for the Tide as they had the bases loaded with no outs and the McGarry run in.
Smith buckled down however and shut the door allowing no more runners to put their foot on home plate.
In the bottom of the seventh Curwensville picked up their last run as Jed Greslick smacked a triple into left centerfield and then scored on a sacrifice fly by McGarry to set the final at 6-3 A-C Valley.
Johns talked about the heartbreaking sixth inning, “I thought the sixth inning was very pivotal. We score only one run with the bases loaded and no outs. We don’t score again and that really hurt.”
Johns spoke about the season, “Because it hurts tonight we aren’t focusing on all the good things we did as a team this year.”
Seniors playing their last game for Curwensville were Gardner, Greslick, Sutika, McGarry, Jonathan Michaels and Derek Brothers of which Johns spoke fondly of, “It’s going to be very hard to imagine next year looking out on the field without this group of seniors being there. I truly wish them well and thank them for making my first year a very special year.”
Curwensville ends their first year under head coach Johns with a 15-7 mark and a solid run deep into the District 9 playoffs.
A-C VALLEY – 6
Cole Smith p 5220, Matt Bartley ss 4221, Allan Eaton 1b 2100, Blayne McGuire c 4134, Eric Staab 2b 4030, Reed Terwilliger 3b 4021, Jay Mangel rf 4000, Eric Page cf 4000, Joe Kauffman lf 3000, TOTALS – 34 6 12 6
CURWENSVILLE – 3
Jed Greslick ss 4110, Wes McGarry cf/p 3121, Sam Gardner p/cf 4000, Brett Sutika 2b 4121, Shane Hoover rf 4010, Shae Best lf 3000, Jonathan Michaels c 3000, Boone McGary 1b 2000, Derek Brothers 3b 3000, TOTALS – 30 3 6 2
SCORE BY INNINGS R H E
AC VALLEY 002 112 0 6 12 3
CURWENSVILLE 000 101 1 3 6 4
ERRORS – Terrwilliger, McGuirk, Staab; Brothers 2, Gardner, Sutika. LOB – A-C VALLEY – 10 CURWENSVILLE – 8. 3B – Greslick. HR – McGuire (solo, 5th). SB – Smith 2, Bartley 2; Best, Sutika. SAC – McGarry. DP – CURWENSVILLE – 1.
PITCHING
AC VALLEY
Smith 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
CURWENSVILLE
Gardner 5 1/3 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
McGarry 1 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
WP – Smith (8-1) LP – Gardner (5-2)