CURWENSVILLE – The Curwensville Area High School baseball team opened up Moshannon Valley League (MVL) play on Monday afternoon at home against the Warriors of West Branch.
Unfortunately for the Tide, they lost for the fourth straight time, as West Branch improved to 4-8 on the season with a 12-6 victory for first year head coach Tyler Good.
Curwensville pushed across the first run of the game in the bottom of the first when Kyle Bloom drove home Tanner Elensky on a fielder’s choice after Elensky walked, stole second and moved to third on an errant throw.
The Warriors put two tallies on the board in the top of the second inning with three singles, a walk and a Tide error. Tide center fielder Jordan Russell stopped West Branch from adding three more runs, as the senior made a spectacular diving catch in left center field with the bases jammed, for the inning’s final out.
West Branch made it 5-1 with three runs in the third inning which was highlighted by doubles from Trey English and starting and winning pitcher Nate Kerlin.
Curwensville answered with a run in the bottom of the third frame as Elensky reached second base on a dropped fly ball and scored after a throwing error as the Tide junior stole third base.
The Tide inched back with two more runs in the bottom half of the fourth as Brett Gardner reached base on a Warrior miscue followed by a walk to Curt Bloom.
Later in the inning with one out, Tide starting pitcher Kyle Johns lined a single to right field driving home Gardner and pinch runner, freshman Noah Strickland making the score 5-4 in favor of the visiting Warriors.
West Branch virtually put the game away with a five run fifth inning and two more in the sixth before the Tide answered with a run in the bottom of the sixth and one more in the seventh to set the final at 12-6 Warriors.
English had three hits and three RBI’s for West Branch, while J. P. Hayles, Kerlin, Conor Myers and Brandon Zwick each chipped in with two.
The Tide had two hits each from Johns, Curt Bloom and Jake B. Stiles.
Tide head coach Denny Johns summed up the action, saying, “I give West Branch a lot of credit. They hit the ball well all afternoon and with the errors that we had at inopportune times it just opened up the flood gates.”
Then Johns closed with a positive thought, “I was happy to see us battle back to make it 5-4, but once again they (West Branch) answered.”
Next up for the Golden Tide, currently 2-9, will be a trip to Amesville on Wednesday to play the Black Knights of Moshannon Valley in another MVL battle. Please note, game time is 4:30 pm.
WEST BRANCH – 12
Jonathan Sanker cf 3110, J. P. Hayles 2b 5122, Chad Speigle ss/3b 4212, Trey English 1b3133, Isaac Guenot ph 1000, Vince McDowell 3110, Dakota Wick cr/ph 1000, Josh Lannen ph 1000, Nate Kerlin p/rf 3321, Jesse Martin ph 1000, Conor Myers lf 4221, Brandon Zwick dh 3120, Walker Williams rf 0000, Ty Thomas p 0000, Zach McGonial 3000, Koty Trude ss 0000, TOTALS – 35 12 14 9.
CURWENSVILLE – 6
Tanner Elensky ss 3200, Kyle Bloom c 4012, Jordan Russell cf 2000, Ricky Magnuson p 2010, Jake B. Stiles 3b 2020, Alex Olson cr/3b 1110, Jason Bloom 1b 2000, A. J. Bloom ph 1000, Gage Baughman 1b 1000, Brett Gardner 2b 3100, Jake Terry 2b 1001, Curt Bloom rf 3120, Noah Strickland pr 0100, Brad Coudriet lf 2000, Travis Lansberry lf 1010, Kyle Johns p/cf 4022, TOTALS – 32 6 10 5
SCORE BY INNINGS – R H E
WEST BRANCH 023 052 0 – 12 14 5
CURWENSVILLE 101 201 1 – 6 10 5
ERRORS – Myers, McDowell 2, English, Kerlin; Coudriet, Johns, Elensky 2, Stiles. LOB -WEST BRANCH – 9; CURWENSVILLE – 9. 2B – English, Kerlin; Olson. SB – English, Myers, Zwick; Elensky 2, Russell, Stiles, Gardner, Johns, Strickland. SF – Hayles. DP – WEST BRANCH.
PITCHING
WEST BRANCH
Nate Kerlin 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
Ty Thomas 2 2/3 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
CURWENSVILLE
Kyle Johns 4 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
Ricky Magnuson 3 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
WP – Kerlin LP – Johns (1-2)
UMPIRES – Hank Wilson and Scott Viehdorfer
Golden Tide Scoreboard:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 3/25 | @ Johnsonburg | ppd. | 0 – 0 |
| 3/27 | DUBOIS CENTRAL | ppd. | 0 – 0 |
| 4/02 | DUBOIS CENTRAL | ppd. | 0 – 0 |
| 4/03 | HARMONY | ppd. | 0 – 0 |
| 4/06 | @ Harry Combs Classic | ||
| vs. Central, VA | 10 – 11 | 0 – 1 | |
| vs. Millbrook, VA | 2 – 13 | 0 – 2 | |
| 4/08 | KANE | 11 – 1 | 1 – 2 |
| 4/10 | @ Elk County Catholic | 0 – 1 | 1 – 3 |
| 4/12 | @ Moshannon Valley | ppd. | 1 – 3 |
| 4/15 | DUBOIS CENTRAL | 1 – 8 | 1 – 4 |
| 4/16 | BROCKWAY | 0 – 3 | 1 – 5 |
| 4/18 | RIDGWAY | 6 – 1 | 2 – 5 |
| 4/19 | @ Brookville | ppd. | 2 – 5 |
| 4/22 | JOHNSONBURG | 3 – 5 | 2 – 6 |
| 4/24 | @ DuBois Central | ppd. | 2 – 6 |
| 4/26 | @ DuBois Central | 6 – 16 | 2 – 7 |
| 4/27 | @ Johnsonburg | 1 – 14 | 2 – 8 |
| 4/29 | WEST BRANCH | 6 – 12 | 2 – 9 |
| 5/01 | @ Moshannon Valley | ||
| 5/02 | @ Kane | ||
| 5/03 | GLENDALE | ||
| 5/06 | ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC | ||
| 5/08 | @ Brockway | ||
| 5/09 | BROOKVILLE | ||
| 5/13 | HARMONY | ||
| 5/15 | @ Ridgway |