Johnsonburg Blasts 14 Hits in Four Innings to Rout Curwensville

JOHNSONBURG — The early season rain led to many postponed games for the Curwensville Golden Tide, which meant that late in the season a lot of the games would occur back-to-back, and sometimes go for days without having a break.  It also meant that some games had to be made up on a Saturday, a unique situation that the Tide have seen already this year.

On Saturday, it happened again as the Tide would go on the road to face the Johnsonburg Rams for an afternoon contest under bright skies, but hot temperatures.

What it also saw was the Rams lighting up the scoreboard.  The heat was not just in the air, but was put on the Tide as Johnsonburg would waste very little time showing what they were all about.  The Rams would only need four innings of work to rout Curwensville in a 14-0 final.

Pitching was not working at all for the Tide.  Starting pitcher Jake B. Stiles would last three-plus innings, but in his effort would give up 13 of the runs, seven of them earned, and also allowed 13 hits.  Jake Terry relieved in the fourth, and yielded the final run and hit for the game.

On the opposite side, Neil MacDonald was lights out, giving up three hits and only throwing one strikeout, but his teammates ensured that no runs would cross home plate.  He would pitch a complete game, earning the victory.

It all kicked off in the first inning as Neil’s brother, Ben, singled to left field, then Josh Raubenstrauch would do the same.  Both of them scored on a Tide error later in the inning to start the scoring.  The third run of the inning came in on an RBI-single by Ben Ames, which brought in Brad Covac, and at the end of one it was 3-0.

The Rams then continued their cause in the second inning with another four runs.  The first came on a ground out by Roselli, but Johnny Mitchell was able to cross home.  Neil MacDonald then scored on a Tide error.  Ben MacDonald would then come home on an RBI-double from Raubenstrauch, and one batter later he came home on a ground out by Covac.

Johnsonburg added two runs in the third as Ames would come home on a sacrifice-bunt by Mitchell, and then Delhunty made it to the plate on an RBI-single by Neil MacDonald.  That made the score 9-0 at the end of three.

In the bottom of the fourth, the home team made sure the game was locked down.

Amacher walked to start the inning and then advanced to second on a wild pitch.  Singles by Ames and Mike Sorge then loaded the bases.  Mitchell then singled to bring in Amacher to make the score 10-0.  But the Rams were not done, as the next few runs came rather easily.

Neil MacDonald was hit by a pitch from Terry, and with the bases loaded, that brought Ames to the plate.  Roselli then walked, bringing in Delhunty.  Finally, the final Curwensville error brought Mitchell home to make it 13-0.

A single by Covac would bring in Neil MacDonald as the final run of the game.

During the top of the fifth a fly out by Jake Lancaster started the inning, and a Noah Strickland strike out would end the inning and the game.

Curwensville (3-15) close out the 2015 season with two road contests.  Monday they face Clearfield, and then Tuesday they take on Brockway.

SCORE BY INNING

Curwensville  000 00 – 0 3 4
Johnsonburg  342 5X – 14 14 0

Curwensville-0

Shaw 2000, Terry 2000, J.B. Stiles 2010, Bloom 2010, Olson 2000, Timko 2000, Lansberry 2000, Lancaster 2010, Strickland 1000.  TOTALS 17 0 3 0.

Johnsonburg-14

N. MacDonald 3222, Roselli 3002, B. MacDonald 3212, Raubenstrauch 3231, Kazmierski 1000, Covac 2101, Breier 1011, Amacher 2000, Sallack 1100, Ames 3231, Delhunty 3221, Mitchell 2220.  TOTALS 27 14 14 11.

HBP:  N. MacDonald
SB:  Mitchell, Raubenstrauch, B. MacDonald

Pitching

Curwensville:  J.B. Stiles-3 IP, 13 H, 13 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO; Terry-1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO.
Johnsonburg:  N. MacDonald-CG, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO.

WP-N. MacDonald.  LP-J.B. Stiles.

Golden Tide Scoreboard: