Another Late Rally Falls Short as Kane Defeats Curwensville

CURWENSVILLE — After catching a day off on Friday following a long four-game stretch, the Curwensville Golden Tide baseball squad was back on the diamond for a Saturday afternoon contest.  Their opposition were the Kane Wolves.  Originally, this game was slated for April 10, but the heavy downpours from the night before and that morning pushed the contest back.

There was no delay for either team this time, as picture-perfect weather welcomed the players; and the fans that came out got a thriller.

Curwensville found themselves down early, but their desire would not quit, and just like earlier in the week, made a ferocious charge in the late stages of the game to pull within a run of victory.

Sadly, the comeback once again fell short as, despite scoring two runs in the final inning, Kane would hold on and escape with the 5-4 victory.

On the mound, Lister was excellent for the Wolves, pitching a complete game giving up four hits and earning seven strikeouts.  Curwensville had no answer for him on the opposite side of the ball, as it would be Nate Strickland getting tagged with the loss, lasting one and two- thirds of an inning, but giving up two hits and three runs, all earned.

Curwensville was the first to get things rolling, as Nate Strickland singled into right-center to start the game.  After stealing second, consecutive ground outs by Jake Terry and Jake B. Stiles would bring him in for the first run of the game.

Kane would come back in a big way to start the second inning.  A two-RBI double by Lingenfelter would plate Jordan and Crowley to give them the lead.  Three batters later, Peterson would be walked and that would bring in Lingenfelter for the third run of the inning and a 3-1 lead.

Curwensville cut the gap down to a run in the bottom of the fifth when Mo Newkirk scored on an RBI-single by Strickland.

The Wolves were not done as they would increse their lead shortly there after.  Lister would score in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly by Swanson, and then Kane would get its final run in the sixth on an RBI-single by Jordan, plating Peterson.

Down 5-2 at that point, the Tide needed momentum, and in the final inning, they found it.

Jake C. Stiles would single to start the final inning, then Newkirk would get hit by a pitch by Lister. Strickland would then walk, loading up the bases and putting Lister in a jam with no one out.

A ground out by Terry brought in Stiles, cutting the lead to 5-3.  A.J. Bloom would then hit a sacrifice-fly out to center, and Newkirk would tag up and score to bring Curwensville within one run of the tie.  Jake B. Stiles was on second, and hoping to see one strong hit over the infield to make a dash for the plate.  Hunter Lancaster stepped up and drilled the ball in the gap between second and third.

Unfortunately, the ball was picked up and the ground out was recorded, ending the comeback for Curwensville.

Now at 1-6, The Tide are hoping to break the six-game skid on Monday as they host Punxsutawney.

SCORE BY INNING

Kane  030 101 0 – 5 7 0
Curwensville  100 010 2 – 4 4 2

Kane-5

Lingenfelter-LF 4112, Kocjancic-3B 4000, Lister-P 3110, Peterson-SS 2111, Swanson-1B 3011, Jordan-CF 2100, Blankenship-CF 1011, Crowley-C 3110, Costanzo-2B 2000, Gordon-RF 4000.  TOTALS 28 5 7 5.

Curwensville-4

Strickland-P 3121, Terry-SS 4001, J.B. Stiles-3B 3001, Bloom-3B 2001, Lancaster-C 2010, Butlin-C 2000, Timko-1B 3000, Lansberry-CF 3000, J.C. Stiles-RF 1000, Shaw-2B 1110, Newkirk-RF 0200.  TOTALS 24 4 4 4.

Pitching

Kane:  Lister-7 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 7 SO.
Curwensville:  Strickland-1.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO; Lansberry-4.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 7 BB, 5 SO; Bloom-1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO.

WP-Lister. LP- Strickland.

Golden Tide Scoreboard: