Early Runs Assist Cardinals in 9-2 Victory Over Curwensville

CURWENSVILLE — To say the Golden Tide of Curwensville have been on a roll lately is along the same lines as saying the “beyond suicide” wings at Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub are “a little hot.”  Over the last three games the Tide have tallied 44 runs, while holding their opponents to a combined 11 runs, and improved their record to 3-3.  All those victories came after making a long ride on the bus to travel away from their home field.

After nearly two weeks, the Tide returned to the home diamond on Wednesday knowing that they had momentum, but their opposition was extremely challenging in the field and at the plate.  In the opposite dugout were the Cardinals of DuBois Central Catholic.

Despite all the momentum, the Cardinals would capitalize early, while the Tide seemed to struggle.

Runs in the opening three innings, plus some solid pitching ultimately stopped all the momentum Curwensville had in the previous three games.  DuBois Central Catholic locked down the 9-2 victory, halting the Tide’s win streak at three games.

Jake Miknis would be tabbed to take the hill for the Cardinals, and did so in fine fashion.  His victory came after four innings of work, giving up just three hits, and striking out four.

He was dishing, while Curwensville was searching.  Bryce Timko got the nod for the Tide to start, but things went south quickly.  After giving up two hits to start the game, Ty Bittmer walked to load the bases.  Thomas Grecco brought home the first run of the afternoon on his RBI-single, and Jack Frank would follow in on a fielding error by Garrett Shaw.  A ground-out by Garrett Prosper would plate the third run of the inning before Timko was able to get out of the first on a pop-fly to shortstop Jake Terry.

The second inning was much more of the same for Curwensville.  A sacrifice fly by Jake Miknis would bring home Michael Misicwiez to start the scoring.  Grecco then hit an RBI-single to plate Jake’s brother, Justin.  The 5-0 score would get worse when Prosper hit a 2-RBI single to bring home both Frank and Grecco, and at that point Tom Harzinski came to the mound to make a pitching change.

Timko took the loss after his one and two-thirds’ innings of work after five hits, seven runs, two of them earned, and two strikeouts.

Noah Strickland took over and would pitch an inning and a third, but not without giving up two more runs in the third, pushing the score to 9-0.

Another pitching change to start the fourth seemed to help Curwensville.  Avery Francisco came to the pitcher’s plate, and kept the Cardinals off the board and out of the hit column.  DuBois Central Catholic would not have another hit in the game after the third inning, giving the Tide some hope of a comeback.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Tide began to build up a rally.  Tom Torretti came in to pitch the fifth inning, giving up two hits entering the final frame.

Things did not get off to a great start for him in the seventh.  Francisco was only at the plate for one pitch, and the ball would catch him right off the chest and then graze off the umpire.  One batter in, and a runner was on.  Austin Lansberry then came to the plate and connected on a deep fly to left field, yielding the only extra-base hit by both teams in the game.  With runners on second and third, one hit would put Curwensville on the board.

It wasn’t a hit, but the ground out by Austin Butlin would bring in Francisco, plating the Tide’s first score.  One batter later, Strickland would do the same thing, bringing Lansberry home to make the score 9-2.  However, on a 2-2 pitch to Garret Shaw, the ball sailed into left field and was safely caught by Brandon Walker, securing the win for the Cardinals.

Curwensville now takes their 3-4 record on the road Thursday as they will face off with Brockway.  First pitch is on tap for 4:15, weather permitting.

SCORE BY INNING

D.C. Catholic  342 000 0 – 9 6 0
Curwensville  000 000 2 – 2 6 2

DuBois Central Catholic – 9

Ju. Miknis SS 5220, Frank C 2210, Ja. Miknis P 3002, Bitner 3B 3100, Grecco 1B 3113, McIntosh RF 0000, Prosper DH 2001, Walker 2000. Torretti P 1000, Sczerba CF 3100, Misicwiez 2B 4220.  TOTALS 28 9 6 6.

Curwensville – 2

Strickland CF 4011, Shaw LF 3010, Ja. Terry SS 3010, Timko P 3000, Lancaster DH 2010, Olson 2010, McClure 1B 0000, Francisco PH 0100, Jo. Terry RF 1000, Lansberry PH 2110, Butlin 3001.  TOTALS 23 2 6 2.

E:  Shaw, Ja. Terry.  LOB:  DCC-8, CV-7.  2B-Lansberry.  SF-Ja. Miknis.  SAC-Francisco.  SB-Frank (2), Szcerba, Misicwiez.  HBP-Jo. Terry, Francisco.

Pitching

D.C. Catholic:  Ja. Miknis-4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 K, 3 BB; Torretti-3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 K, 0 BB.
Curwensville:  Timko-1.2 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 2 ER, 2 K, 3 BB; Strickland-1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 K, 2 BB; Francisco-2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 4 BB; VonGunden-1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 0 BB.

W-Ja. Miknis. L-Timko.

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