CURWENSVILLE – The wait for the season opener for the Curwensville Area High School softball team was not disappointing, but head coach Allen Leigey might have wanted it to be less stressful. The Lady Tide was able to hold off Brookville 9-8 on Monday to test everyone’s nerves early in the season.
“It’s good to get a win when you’re not playing your best,” Leigey admitted. “We really have to clean up our game before we get any further into the season if we want to win.”
A walk, an error and two singles in the top of the first inning led to three runs for the Lady Raiders. However, the defense did come to the surface with a 5-3-2 double play to stop the bleeding and send the Lady Tide to their first offensive stand of the year.
Senior Abby Dugo opened that attack with a single and one out later Alaina Stiles doubled to score the first run. After the second out, Riley Young doubled home Stiles and Haley McGarry singled to knot the score at 3-3 after one inning.
“We hit the ball decently and scored enough to win,” said Leigey “We just didn’t show the enthusiasm that I would like to see in the field.”
In the third inning, Curwensville would grab its first lead of the year after surrendering another run to the Lady Raiders in the top of the inning. McGarry opened the frame by drawing a walk and moved to second on a ground out. After the second out, Melanie Milliron singled McGarry home. Dugo followed with her second hit that allowed Milliron to scamper home for a 5-4 advantage.
An error and a double in the top of the fourth allowed Brookville to knot the game once again at 5-5. However, the hosts stepped up again to post three runs of their own in the inning and hold an 8-5 lead. A hit from Nikki Harker and a double from Hannah Dixon among three Brookville errors aided in the runs.
Four more runs were put up by the two teams in the final two innings – all of which came as a result of errors on both sides of the diamond. Both teams scored once in the fifth inning to push the score to 9-6. The Raiders would add two runs in the top of the seventh and leave a runner on base when senior pitcher Tierra Shope fielded a ground ball and flipped it to first for the final out of the game.
“Coming in, I was a little worried at how this game could end up,” admitted Leigey. “They have a good team, but I never thought we’d throw the ball around like we did. Hopefully, we got rid of the opening day jitters and we can focus on what needs to be done from here.”
Shope finished the game in the circle by striking out four batters and walking two. The Raiders scattered 10 hits, but only two of their runs were earned. Dugo’s two hits paced the Lady Tide’s 10-hit attack while each spot in the line-up yielded at least one hit in the game.
Curwensville will travel to Sheffield on Wednesday for a double-header. The first pitch is set to be delivered at 3:30.
BROOKVILLE — 8
Morgan Reinard 2b 2100, Elaina Powell ss 4110, Laken Harget dh 4421, Hannah Simpson p 4130, Maggie Miller c 4011, Brenna Dwork cf 4012, Hannah Kirkwood 1b 4120, Jordan MacWillard lf 2000, Nicole Dempsy lf 2000, Amanda Deip rf 1000, Simpson rf 2000, Kayla Bruner flex/3b 0000, TOTALS – 33 AB 8 R 10 H 4 RBI.
CURWENSVILLE — 9
Abby Dugo ss 4121, Tierra Shope p 5010, Alaina Stiles 2b 4211, Nikki Harker 1b 4010, Kayli Harnett pr 0100, Riley Young lf 4211, Haley McGarry c 3211, Hannah Dixon cf 3011, Megan McCartney dh 2000, Kealy Wassil dh 1010, Marissa Kuntz pr 0000, Mellanie Milliron rf 3111, Jordan Round Flex/3b 0000, TOTALS – 33 AB 9 R 10 H 6 RBI.
SCORES BY INNINGS – R H E
Brookville 301 110 2 – 8 10 5
Curwensville 302 310 x – 9 10 3
ERRORS – Reinard, Powell, H. Simpson, Miller, MacWillard; Dugo, Shope, Harker. LOB – Brookville 5; Curwensville 9. 2B – Reinard, Powell; Stiles, Young, Dixon. DP – Curwensville.
PITCHING
Brookville – H. Simpson 6 IP 10 H 9 R 5 ER 5 BB 4 K 0 HB
Curwensville – Shope 7 IP 10 H 8 R 2 ER 2 BB 4 K 0 HB
WP – Shope (1-0). LP -H. Simpson.
Lady Tide Scoreboard:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 3/24 | @ Johnsonburg | ppd. | 0 – 0 |
| 3/26 | DUBOIS CENTRAL | ppd. | 0 – 0 |
| 3/31 | BROOKVILLE | 9 – 8 | 1 – 0 |
| 4/02 | @ Sheffield (DH) | ||
| 4/04 | HARMONY | ||
| 4/07 | KANE | ||
| 4/09 | @ Elk County Catholic | ||
| 4/11 | @ West Branch | ||
| 4/14 | BROCKWAY | ||
| 4/15 | @ Johnsonburg | ||
| 4/21 | @ Mo Valley | ||
| 4/23 | JOHNSONBURG | ||
| 4/28 | @ DuBois Central | ||
| 4/30 | CLARION-LIMESTONE | ||
| 5/01 | GLENDALE | ||
| 5/03 | REDBANK VALLEY | ||
| 5/05 | @ Kane | ||
| 5/07 | ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC | ||
| 5/08 | DUBOIS CENTRAL | ||
| 5/12 | @ Brockway | ||
| 5/14 | @ Clarion-Limestone |