Curwensville Baseball Falls 3-2 At Johnsonburg

JOHNSONBURG – When a team gets a chance to play the best, it usually takes their best effort to come out victorious.  The Curwensville Area High School baseball team fell just short in their effort to defeat reigning state champion Johnsonburg Wednesday in a 3-2 final.  According to the Golden Tide coaching staff, one aspect of the team’s effort was missing in the game.

“This story is getting frustrating game after game,” Tide head coach Denny Johns said.  “We have to hit the ball better.  Our game is too repetitive – we just aren’t always getting key hits when we need them.”

Curwensville (1-5) was able to grab and hold the lead for most of the game.  Senior Kyle Johns was hit by a pitch to open the game, and scored after one out on a single by Brett Gardner.  In the second inning, the lead grew as Ricky Magnuson was also hit by a Taylor Feronti pitch.  Magnuson scored from second two outs later when Jake B. Stiles doubled to give the Tide a 2-0 advantage.

Gardner was able to keep the Rams at bay for most of the game.  The hosts chipped away in the third inning when Feronti helped his own cause with an RBI single to set the score at 2-1 at that point.

Gardner struck out 10 Ram batters while walking just one in his effort.  Johnsonburg managed just four hits in the game, but made them count to grab the lead in the fifth inning.

“I just have to say Brett Gardner threw a great game,” commended Johns.  “He kept them off balance for most of the game and got the defensive support when he needed it.”

The major damage in the game came as a result of two pitches.  With two outs in the fifth inning, Gardner hit Cameron Grumley, and his 2-and-1 fastball to Feronti caught too much of the plate.  Feronti ripped a two-run homer to make the 3-2 difference in the outcome.

The Tide stranded eight runners in the game including men at second and third in the top of the seventh.  The Rams left four players on base in the game.

Johns echoed the sentiment of his coaching staff after the game,”Our defense is where we need it to be, but our bats are not.”

The Golden Tide will get the chance to dust off those bats later on Friday when they travel to West Branch for a Moshannon Valley League clash.  Game time is set for 4:30.

CURWENSVILLE — 2

Kyle Johns cf 2100, Jake B. Stiles 3b 4011, Brett Gardner p 4011, Tanner Elensky ss 3000,  Tyler Mays c 3010, Noah Strickland rf 2000, Alex Olson lf 2000, A.J. Bloom ph 1000, Ricky Magnuson 1b 2110, Travis Lansberry pr 0000, Jake Terry 2b 2000, TOTALS – 25 AB 2 R 4 H 2 RBI.

JOHNSONBURG — 3

Cole Peterson ss 3000, Cameron Grumley 3b 1110, Taylor Feronti p 3123, Eric Bevacqua c 3000, D. Sallack 1b 3000, Brian Feronti lf 2000, M. Solorio ph 1000, Mitchell Anderson cf 2000, T. Roberts ph 1000, Christian Cherry 2b 2000, C. Duchi rf 1110,  TOTALS – 22 AB 3 R 4 H 3 RBI.

SCORES BY INNINGS – R H E

Curwensville  110 000 0 – 2 4 0

Johnsonburg   001 020 x – 3 4 1

ERRORS – Benacqua. LOB – Curwensville 8; Johnsonburg 4.  2B – Stiles.  HR – T. Feronti. SB – Mays. PB – .  SAC – Terry. HB – Grumley (Gardner); Johns, Magnuson (T. Feronti).

PITCHING

Curwensville –  Gardner 6 IP 4 H 3 R 3 ER 1 BB 10 K 1 HB

Johnsonburg –   T. Feronti 7 IP 4 H 2 R 2 ER 2 BB 8 K 2 HB

WP – T. Feronti.  LP – Gardner.

Tide Scoreboard: