Golden Tide Rally for Dramatic 6-5 Comeback Win over Glendale

CURWENSVILLE – With both teams searching to get back in the win column, the Curwensville and Glendale high school baseball squads took it to the seventh inning on Tuesday afternoon before the Golden Tide came from behind to pull out a 6-5 Moshannon Valley League (MVL) victory.

Tide catcher Jason Bloom poked a one out single to left field in the bottom of the seventh to help Curwensville improve to 4-11 overall and 2-1 in MVL action.

Tanner Elensky crossed the plate with the game’s initial run in the bottom of the first as the Curwensville junior shortstop led off with a double to left center field and scored with one out on a Brett Gardner fly ball that was dropped.

The Vikings tied the game at one all with a run in the top of the second without getting a hit, thanks to two walks, a balk and an error. Justin Kephart scored the first run for the visitors, leading off with a walk and later scoring on a Tide error.

Curwensville wasted little time to retake the lead in the bottom of the third when Jordan Russell singled to left, stole second and then came home on a sacrifice fly to center field by sophomore Travis Lansberry, putting the home squad back in front 2-1, after three innings were recorded.

With only a 2-12 record on the season coming into the game, the Vikings weren’t about to fold on this day, as Glendale knotted the battle at 2-2 with a tally in its half of the fourth frame as Kephart scored on a Dakota Sinclair single to center field with two outs.  Kephart led off the inning with a walk, one of nine issued on the afternoon by four Golden Tide pitchers.

However, the Tide weren’t going away either, jumping back out in front 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth.

Jason Bloom started the excitement with a one out single and then gave way to freshman pinch runner Noah Strickland, who scored later in the inning on a sacrifice fly to right field by Hunter McCracken.

Not to be outdone, Glendale tied the back and forth game, 3-3, with a one spot in the top of the fifth stanza as Matt Kimberly led off the inning with a walk and eventually scoring on a dropped fly ball in the outfield by the Tide defense.

The sixth inning was quiet.  But not the seventh.

Viking shortstop Tyler Potutschnig reached first base on another Curwensville miscue followed by a Craig Hewitt single giving the Vikings runners at first and second with no outs.

First baseman Matt Schultz singled to left center with one out, driving home Potutschnig and giving the Vikings the lead once again, 4-3.

Glendale added another run when Sinclair drove home Hewitt on a fielder’s choice. And after six and a half innings it was 5-3 Vikings.

However, this was Curwensville’s day.

Russell got things rolling for the Tide in the bottom of the seventh inning, leading off with a bunt single and was followed by Elensky and his infield single that gave Curwensville runners at first and second with no outs.

Curt Bloom was then hit on 1-0 pitch that loaded the bases for the Golden Tide, still with no outs.

Lansberry came back into the game replacing Curt Bloom as a base runner.

Gardner drove a deep fly to center field for the first out, but the sacrifice fly brought home Russell along with Elensky, who scored on the play thanks to a Glendale error on a throw to third base.

An intentional walk to Jake Stiles and a unintentional walk to Kyle Bloom loaded the bases again for the Tide, still with just one out.

On a 2-0 pitch, Jason Bloom dropped a single into right field that ended the contest as Lansberry raced home with the game winner.

Tide coach Denny Johns spoke after the comeback win, saying, “Obviously it would have been very easy for the kids to get down after the kind of year we have had, but we got some momentum going and things started to fall our way.”

Curwensville utilized four pitchers who combined for nine walks, but 12 strikeouts, “Overall, I thought the four pitchers did okay today except for the fact that they were pitching from behind a lot.”

Even though the Tide is just 4-11 Johns said the team still has hopes, “The kids still have a desire to qualify for the District 9 playoffs, but they also are very aware of the fact that they have to win out to accomplish that goal.”

Curwensville takes a trip to Brockway on Wednesday to play the Rovers at 4:15 pm.  Brockway shutout the Golden Tide on April 16 in Curwensville, 3-0.

GLENDALE  –  5

Anthony Barnhart c 1000,  Tyler Potutschnig ss 4110,  Craig Hewitt 2b 4110,  Justin Kephart 3b 2200,  Alex Traca p 3000,  Matt Schultz 1b 3011,  Dakota Sinclair lf 4012,  Colt Shope rf 4000,  Matt Kimberly cf 1110, TOTALS  –  26   5   5   3.

CURWENSVILLE  –  6

Tanner Elensky ss 3220,  Travis Lansberry rf 3011,  Curt Bloom lf/rf 0100,  Brett Gardner 2b/rf 4001,  Jake Stiles 3b 2000,  Kyle Bloom c 2000,  Alex Olson cr 0000,  Jason Bloom 1b 3021,  Noah Strickland pr 0100,  Brad Coudriet lf/cf 1000,  Ricky Magnuson p 1000,  Kyle Johns p/lf 0000,  Hunter McCracken dh/p 3001,  Jordan Russell cf/p 3220, TOTALS  –   24   6   7   4.

SCORE BY INNINGS – R H E

GLENDALE 010 110 2 – 5 5 2

CURWENSVILE 101 100 3 – 6 7 3

NOTE: Winning run  scored with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning.

ERRORS – Sinclair,  Kephart;  Stiles, Russell,  J. Bloom. LOB – GLENDALE – 9; CURWENSVILLE – 8. 2B – Elensky, Lansberry.  SB – Barnhart; Elensky, Lansberry, Russell.  SF – Lansberry, McCracken, Gardner. DP – CURWENSVILLE. HBP – Stiles (by Traca), Curt Bloom (by Traca).

PITCHING

GLENDALE

Traca 6 1/3 IP,  7 H,  6 R,  4 ER,  6 BB,  5 K,  2 HB

CURWENSVILLE

Johns       2 IP,  0 H,  1 R,  0 ER,  3 BB,  4 K, 1 BALK

McCracken       2 IP,  2 H,  1 R,  1 ER,  2 BB,  3 K,

Magnuson       2 IP,  1 H,  1 R,  0 ER,  4 BB,  3 K

Russell       1 IP,  2 H,  2 R,  1 ER,  0 BB,  2 K

WP – Russell (1-2). LP – Traca.

UMPIRES: Mike Sutika, Kyler Kephart.

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