CURWENSVILLE – The one aspect that Curwensville Area High School softball coach Allen Leigey didn’t think would be missing from his team was hitting, but that was the key element lacking in Thursday’s home-opener against Brockway. The Lady Tide managed just four hits in a 6-2 defeat to even their early season record at 1-1.
I still think our hitting will be our strength,” said Leigey after the game. ” It’s not like we weren’t putting the ball in play. We hit the ball hard at times. We only struck out twice and had some opportunities to score.”
Curwensville was able to take advantage of the Rovers’ early mistakes to score in the bottom of the first inning. Brockway committed three errors in the frame and a pass ball allowed Madi Peterman to get to third. Peterman scored easily on a long single by Molly Demchak to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
In the top of the second, the visitors quickly evened the score with a double by Brooke Carlson and a two-out RBI single from Juli Vokes. Two out scoring opportunities haunted the Tide in the third inning as well when Ann Moyer drew a two out walk. Savannah Brosky promptly doubled home Moyer and Carlson belted a two-run homer – a blow from which the host team could never recover.
“One aspect that we have been working on in the circle is getting ahead in the count,” said Leigey. “Tierra (Shope) has put herself behind 2-0 and gotten trapped with what pitches she has to throw next to try to come back. We want her to get ahead of the hitters so she can work on spots around the plate that they can’t get the bat on the ball.”
The hits that the Golden Tide did come up with were too scattered to be effective as no inning saw more than one base hit. The Tide left 13 batters on base in the game and were given eight walks by Rover hurler Alex Wright.
“We just left too many runners on base,” Leigey noted. “We couldn’t get the key hit when we needed it, or they made a good play on a hard hit ball.”
Leigey was quick to point out a sixth inning, diving grab by Brockway’s LeeAnn Crawford. Curwensville had the bases loaded with two outs when Demchak looked for the right-center gap. Crawford’s catch quite possibly saved three runs that may have changed the complexion of the game.
Brockway ended the game with 11 hits while Shope struck out one Rover batter and walked three. Wright limited the Tide bats with the four scattered hits while walking eight and fanning two.
Both teams now stand at 1-1 on the season. Curwensville will be back in action on Wednesday when the Tide travels to Ridgway.
Brockway – 6
Alex Wright p 3011, Sara Guilyard ss 4011, Ann Moyer cf 3110, Savannah Brosky c 4111, Brooke Carlson dp 4222, Brittany Johnson 2b 3010, LeeAnn Crawford rf 4010, Juli Vokes 1b 2121, Gabby Bart lf 3110, Ashley Cherubini 3b/flex 0000, TOTALS – 30 AB 6 R 11 H 6 RBI.
CURWENSVILLE – 2
Taylor Goodman 2b 4000, Madi Peterman1b 3210, Tiffany Carter c 300, Molly Demchak 3b 3010, Melanie Miliron pr 0000, Cheyenne Pentz ss 3011, Sarah Wriglesworth cf 4000, Abby Johnson lf 4010, Megan Barrett dp 3000, Hannah Bressler rf 1000, Tierra Shope p/flex 0000, TOTALS – 28 AB 2 R 4 H 1 RBI.
SCORES BY INNINGS – R H E
Brockway 013 002 0 – 6 11 5
Curwensville 100 010 0 – 2 4 2
ERRORS – Johnson 2, Guilyard, Cherubini, Brosky; Wriglesworth, Pentz. LOB – Brockway 6; Curwensville 13. 2B – Brosky, Carlson. 3B – none. HR – Carlson. SAC – Wright, Johnson. SB – Vokes. DP – Curwensville. PB – Carlson; Carter. WP – Wright; Shope 3. HB – none.
PITCHING
Brockway – Wright 7 IP 4 H 2 R 1 ER 8 BB 2 K 0 HB
Curwensville – Shope 7 IP 11 H 6 R 5 ER 3 BB 1 K 0 HB
WP – Wright (1-1). LP – Shope (1-1).