Lady Tide Softball Team Holds Off Johnsonburg 7-6

CURWENSVILLE – After missing over two weeks of the early season, the Curwensville Area High School softball team hosted Johnsonburg in a District 9 Northern Allegany League Small School Division Southern Tier opener for both teams on Thursday afternoon.  The Lady Tide fared better in the sluggish contest for a 7-6 victory at Riverside Stadium.  The Ramettes had not played a complete game on the season before Thursday’s meeting with Curwensville. 

The Tide had to battle back twice in the contest and used some timely hitting and solid defense to move to 2-0 on the season.  Four Ramettes’ errors were also key in both comebacks as all seven host runs were unearned.

“We played as a team and didn’t get down when we were behind,” said Leigey.  “We battled through the deficits and put the bat on the ball in some key situations.”

Both teams went quietly in the first inning before Johnsonburg scored twice in the second.  Shortstop Justice Myers singled and stole second to open the frame.  Brittany Watts and Cassie Biondi both followed with walks around the first out to load the bases.  Tomi Wildnauer followed with a single through the left side to score two runs for the visitor’s first lead.  Lady Tide hurler Tierra Shope then took care of the Ramettes threat by striking out the next two batters. 

“We went through some adversity with our young team,” mentioned Leigey.  “Tierra (Shope) had some adversity in the circle through the middle innings, but threw strikes in the later innings to contain them.  We also made some great defensive stops with the gloves.”

Shope scattered seven hits on the day while striking out seven as well.  Five Johnsonburg batters drew walks with five runs scored being earned.

The home team came back to tie the game in the bottom of the second.  Catcher Tiffany Carter opened the frame with a single.  Two outs later found Carter at third.  Abby Johnson then drew a walk and tied the score behind Carter moments later when Johnsonburg pitcher Kiana Myers’ hurried throw to first sailed into right field.

Myers redeemed herself in the top of the third with a lead-off triple.  Dani Dwyer’s sacrifice fly plated Myers for a 3-2 Ramettes lead.  However, Curwensville erupted in the fourth to take the lead for the first time and hold on for the win.

Carter walked to open the fourth, but was erased on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Cheyenne Pentz.  Pentz then slid into second safely and moved to third on two throwing errors by Kiana Myers.  Katie Wriglesworth strolled into second on the second error as well.  Johnson then singled in the tying run.  A third error of the inning allowed Sarah Wriglesworth to reach safely as Katie scored to give the hosts the lead at 4-3.  After the second out, Taylor Goodman and Molly Demchak slapped back-to-back singles that scored three more runs for a 7-3 mark.

Johnsonburg would not go away and tried to knot things up in the fifth.  After getting new life on a dropped foul ball, Paige Dececchis drew a walk to start the fifth.  Dececchis tried to steal second, but was cut down by a strong throw from Carter and a quick tag by Pentz.  It didn’t seem like much at the time, but the out at second stopped the Ramettes from tying the score once more.

Following the put out at second, the visitors slapped out three straight hits that loaded the bases.  After the second out didn’t produce a run, Taylor Harvey’s single scored two, and a third run came in on an overthrow play at third.  The Tide regrouped and ended the inning.

Johnsonburg managed just one more base runner in the final two innings as the defense stiffened to preserve the win.

Offensively for the Tide, Demchak and Johnson collected two hits each.  Demchak drove in two runs while Johnson earned one RBI.  Kiana and Justice Myers hit safely twice for Johnsonburg while Wildnauer and Harvey drove in a pair of runs each.

Curwensville is scheduled to host Sheffield Saturday in a double-header make-up.  The first game is set to start at 1:00 p.m. at Riverside Stadium.

DUBOIS CENTRAL – 6

Paige Dececchis 2b/p 3000, Kiana Myers p/2b 4220, Dani Dwyer c 2111, Justis Myers ss 4220, Brittany Watts cf 3100, Taylor Harvey 1b 3012,  Cassie Biondi lf 1000, Tomi Wildnauer rf 2012, Katie Galsick 3b 1000,  Kassa Kacjancic 3b 2000, TOTALS: 25 AB 6 R 7 H 5 RBI.

CURWENSVILLE – 7

Sarah Wriglesworth cf 4100, Madison Peterman lf  3010, Taylor Goodman 2b 4110, Molly Demchak 3b 3022, Hannah Bressler rf 3000, Tiffany Carter c 2110, Cheyenne Pentz ss 3100, Katie Wriglesworth 1b 3100, Abby Johnson dp 2221, Tierra Shope p 0000, TOTALS –  27 AB 7 R 7 H 3 RBI.

SCORES BY INNINGS –  R H E

Johnsonburg- 021 030 0 – 6 7 4

Curwensville – 020 500 x – 7 7 2

ERRORS –  K. Myers 3, Dececchis; K. Wriglesworth 2.  LOB – Johnsonburg 5; Curwensville 8.  3B – K. Myers.  DP – none. SB – J. Myers.  SAC – Dwyer, Windnauer. HBP – none.  PB – Carter.  WP – none.

PITCHING 

Johnsonburg– K. Myers 4 IP 5 H 7 R 0 ER  3 BB 0 K 0 HB

                            Dececchis 2 IP 2 H 0 R 0 ER  2 BB 0 K 0 HB

Curwensville – Shope 6 IP 7 H 6 R 5 ER 5 BB 7 K 0 HB

W – Shope (2-0). L – K. Myers  (0-1).