Short Turn-Around Makes Little Difference In Tide’s 12-1 Win over Johnsonburg

JOHNSONBURG – It had only been seven days since the Curwensville Area High School softball team shutout Johnsonburg 14-0 when the two teams met for a second time on Monday afternoon.  The results were very similar in this week’s game as the Lady Tide bested the Rammettes 12-1 in a five inning affair.

An easy victory doesn’t always make for a repeat performance, however, and Curwensville head coach Allen Leigey felt the need to remind his team to not take Johnsonburg lightly the second time around.

“We seemed to be having a hard time to get ready for the game as we warmed up, so I had to call a pre-game meeting,” Leigey said.  “It felt like the girls were taking the things for granted before the game.  After our talk the energy seemed to change, and we went on to take care of business.

The pep talk translated into a seven-run second inning that was more than enough to provide the win for the 8-1 Lady Tide.  Senior Abby Johnson opened the frame with a single and walked to third on free passes to Alaina Stiles and Nikki Harker.  Pitcher Tierra Shope promptly recorded her first varsity single to score the first run of the game.

After a play at the plate recorded the first out, Sarah Wriglesworth walked to push home another run.  With two outs, Cheyenne Pentz walked for a run, and Tiffany Carter followed with a fly to left that was misplayed to allow two runs to score for a 5-0 mark.  Johnson drove home the final two tallies with her second hit of the inning to give the visitors a 7-0 tally.

The Lady Tide added three runs in the fourth inning when Taylor Goodman  opened with a walk and stolen base.  She scored with one out on a Carter single.  Johnson was promptly hit by a pitch, and both runners scored on a Stiles base hit.

In the fifth inning the 10-run rule came into play, and the Black and Gold added two runs for good measure.  Hits by Wriglesworth, Pentz and Carter contributed to the final output for Curwensville, who held a 12-0 lead and was in need of three outs to end the game.

The extra runs were needed to bring an early close to the game as Johnsonburg manufactured its only run in the bottom of the fifth.  Kassa Kojancic’s single was the only hit in the inning that allowed a lead-off walk  to round the bases for the 12-1 final.

“We got the job done in a big way, but it just didn’t feel crisp,” Leigey said.  “We only had nine hits today after posting 16 last week against them.  We need to be on top of things against ECC or it will be a tough game.  Hopefully, the focus will be there tomorrow (Tuesday).”

Curwensville took advantage of eight walks to go along with the nine hits collected off Raimi Akers.  Akers, who struck out two and hit a batter, pitched just one-third inning last week in her team’s loss.

Johnson and Carter were the only multiple-hit players for Curwensville in a game that held no extra-base hits for the visitors.  Goodman finished with three stolen bases.

Shope did her job in the circle by striking out three, walking only two and allowing just four hits on the day.  Including the run that did score, only four runners reached scoring position in the game.

The Lady Tide will be at home Tuesday to take on Elk County Catholic at Riverside Stadium.

CURWENSVILLE – 12

Sarah Wriglesworth cf 3211, Taylor Goodman 2b 2210, Cheyenne Pentz ss 2111, Tiffany Carter c 4223, Tricia Laird cr 0000, Abby Johnson lf 3222, Alaina Stiles rf 2012, Tricia Laird ph 1000, Nikki Harker 1b 1100, Kealy Wassil ph 1000, Tierra Shope p 3111, Riley Young cr 0000, Melanie Milliron dp 1100, Megan McCartney ph 1000, Abby Dugo flex/3b 0000, TOTALS – 24 AB 12 R 9 H 10 RBI.

JOHNSONBURG – 1

Kassa Kojancic ss 3031, Jenna Tomaski 2b 3000, Ashton Watts 1b 2000, Brittany Watts c 2010, Aleka Marciniak 3b 2000, Mekena Rowles lf  2000, Lydia Hefright cf 2010 , Hannah Newman dp 1100, Raini Akers p 2000, C. Shaffer flex/rf 0000,  TOTALS – 19 AB 1 R 4 H 1 RBI.

SCORES BY INNINGS

Curwensville  070 32x x – 12 R 9 H 0 E

Johnsonburg   000 01x x – 1 R 4 H 1 E

ERRORS – Rowles.  LOB – Curwensville 8; Johnsonburg 6.  DP – Curwensville. 2B – B. Watts. SB – Goodman 3; Kojancic. WP – Kojancic. PB – B. Watts 2.

PITCHING

Curwensville –  Shope – 5 IP 4 H 1 R 1 ER 2 BB 3 K 0 HB

Johnsonburg –   Akers – 5 IP 9 H 12 R 9 ER 8 BB 2 K 1 HB

WP – Shope (8-1).  LP -Akers.

Lady Tide Scoreboard  – includes new dates for previously postponed games: