West Branch Hands Curwensville Its Second Loss 7-2

ALLPORT – The Curwensville Area High School softball team has been able to play three games in the last 15 days due to the wet weather and stand at 1-2 after dropping a 7-2 contest to Moshannon Valley League foe West Branch Wednesday afternoon.  While Lady Tide coach Allen Leigey was looking for no excuses for the loss, he pointed out to his team a major difference in outcome.

“I told the girls that the big difference in the two teams today was the way they (West Branch) were able to step up when they got into a jam,”  Leigey mentioned.  “It just showed that they played a mentally sharper game – experience gives that to you.”

West Branch has gotten nine games in this season, and did take advantage of mistakes made by Curwensville.  Warrior pitcher Rachel Myers took advantage of perhaps the first mistake in the first inning.  Myers drilled the first pitch she saw from Tide hurler Tierra Shope over the center field wall to help herself to a 1-0 lead.

The Lady Tide bounced back in the third inning with three straight hits after one out.  Shope started the rally with the first of her three hits on the day.  Alaina Stiles followed with a single of her own before Nikki Harker doubled in both runners for a 2-1 lead.

The lead was short-lived as the Warriors knotted the score with the help of two errors, a stolen base and a passed ball.

“When we got in jams, we didn’t have anyone who could step up to shut them down,” said Leigey.  “I just didn’t feel like we were focused going into the game and that is something that has to change.”

West Branch took the lead for good in the fourth inning when Abbi Bumbarger singled with one out.  Bumbarger quickly stole second before Stasia Laterzo walked.  Both runners came home after another error and a single by GabbyRedmond.

Three runs were added by the hosts in the fifth with the help of a single from Missy Croyle and a double from Tosha Hahn for the 7-2 final.

Shope led all hitters in the game finishing 3-for-3 at the plate.  In the circle she struck out six, scattered seven hits and walked just two.  Stiles finished with two hits on the afternoon.

Myers struck out five, walked one and hit two batters while allowing seven hits on the day.  Hahn was the only multiple-hit performer for West Branch in the game.

Curwensville will be back in action Thursday afternoon as they travel to Harmony for another MVL match-up at 4:30.

CURWENSVILLE — 2

Abby Dugo ss 3000, Tierra Shope p 3130, Marissa Kuntz pr 0000, Alaina Stiles 2b 4120, Nikki Harker 1b 3012, Kayley Harnett pr 0000, Riley Young lf/p 3000, Megan McCartneyl dp 3010, Teghan Jacobson pr 0000, Haley McGarry c 2000, Mellanie Milliron rf 3000, Hannah Dixon cf 2000, Kealy Wassil ph 1000, Bethany Carns Flex/3b 0000, Jourdan RoundFlex/3b 0000, TOTALS – 27 AB 2 R 7 H 2 RBI.

WEST BRANCH — 7

Gabby Redmond cf 4111, Morgan Rackish 1b 4010, Rachel Myers p 2211, Madison McCracken ss 3011, Missy Croyle 2b 3110, Tosha Hahn dp 3122, Abbi Bumbarger rf 3110, Stasia Laterzo c 2100, Dani Zelenky 3b 3000, Jessica Milliron Flex/lf 0000, TOTALS – 27 AB 8 R 8 H 5 RBI.

SCORES BY INNINGS – R H E

Curwensville  002 000 0 – 2 7 4

West Branch   101 230 x – 7 8 1

ERRORS – Harker, Carns, McGarry 2; Rackish.  LOB – Curwensville 9; West Branch 6.  2B – Harker; Hahn. HR – Myers. SB – Bumbarger, Myers.  PB – McGarry 2; Laterzo 2. HP – Harker, McGarry (Myers); Myers (Shope).

PITCHING

Curwensville –  Shope 5 IP 7 H 7 R 4 ER 2 BB 6 K 1 HB

Young 1 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 1 K 0 HB

West Branch –   Myers 7 IP 7 H 2 R 2 ER 1 BB 5 K 2 HB

WP -Myers (5-4).  LP -Shope (1-2).

Lady Tide Scoreboard: