Golden Tide Score Early and Often To Secure Win Over West Branch

ALLPORT — With just two weeks remaining in the 2016 season, and despite what the record may show, the Curwensville Golden Tide baseball team is not just thinking about finishing out the season in strong fashion.  Coach Tom Harzinski and his staff are looking at a potential late charge to make a post-season run.

The way that thought will become a reality is if the team can get on a winning streak to close out the 20-game season.

That task began on Monday as the Tide made the trip to West Branch to take on the Warriors, a game that was originally set for the beginning of the year but now had potentially big implications.

From the first pitch to the last, the game was clearly in hand, but it wasn’t the squad wearing blue and red that was putting on the clinic.  Instead, the Tide were getting things in their favor early, and very often.

In the first two innings, the entire line-up would step to the plate twice, with the bats producing hit after hit, and bringing in run after run.

Curwensville would plate 11 runs in two innings, more than enough for the Tide to maintain and achieve the 13-6 victory.

“The bats finally came alive…we told them before the game, ‘It’s do-or-die time now,'” Harzinski said outside the dugout.  “Our bats came out, Bryce (Timko) threw an exceptional game, kept the ball down.”

Curwensville would have just as many hits as they did runs, a majority coming over the first two innings.  Timko did his part on the mound, pitching a complete game and yielding just six hits in his victory.  It would be a strong performance, despite being in a couple of jams and possibly being pulled out.

Things got started quickly in the first inning when Jake Terry put two runs on the board with a double into left-center.  A few batters later, Avery Francisco joined in the hit fest by adding in another two-RBI double, plating both Terry and Hunter Lancaster.  A fielding error by Josh Cantolina allowed the fifth run to come across, but after only half an inning, the Warriors were looking at the 5-0 deficit.

West Branch cut the lead down in their half of the inning, beginning with an RBI-triple by Cam Lytle.  Lytle would come home on a fielding error by Noah VonGunden, making the score 5-2 at the end of one.

The second inning was another run fest thanks to the entire line-up coming to the plate.  Francisco started the scoring in the frame with an RBI-single, bringing Terry to the plate.  One batter later, Austin Butlin laced a hit into the outfield for a two-RBI single, increasing the lead to 8-2.  Noah Strickland got into the action as he launched a single down the gap between second and third, plating another pair of runs.  He then came home on an RBI-single from Noah VonGunden.

West Branch’s Vince McDowell could not get anything working on the mound, yielding 10 hits and 11 runs.  His time pitching lasted just three innings, and he got tabbed with the loss in the effort.

West Branch began creeping back in the bottom of the third with a pair of runs to make the game 11-4.  Then, the next three innings would go scoreless once Mark Glace came on in relief.

Both squads would bring in a pair of runs in the seventh inning, but Curwensville closed the deal with a fly out to center field and then a ground out to end the game.

“Overall, it’s the best game we’ve played all year.  From pitching to batting, it was overall our best effort.  We came together today,” Harzinski said.

The big picture is still within reach for Curwensville.  Despite their now 5-10 record, Harzinski believes they can make the playoffs with the late-season push.  The confidence when speaking to his team after the game was evident, and the players believed in what they could accomplish.  The Tide come home on Tuesday for a key league game against Kane.

Harzinski cut right to the heart of how important the game will be for everyone involved.

“We have a big game, it’s a must-win.  We’re gonna win.  We (coaches) are confident.  They (players) are confident.  We’re gonna make the playoffs if we have any say about it,” Harzinski said.

First-pitch is slated for 4:15 p.m., weather dependent.

SCORE BY INNING

Curwensville  560 000 2 – 13 13 2
West Branch  202 000 2 – 6 6 6

Curwensville – 13

Strickland 5211, VonGunden 4221, Timko 4310, Ja. Terry 5122, Lancaster 5230, McClure 4000, Olson 1011, Francisco 5123, Butlin 2112, Shaw 4101.  TOTALS 39 13 13 11.

West Branch – 6

McDowell 3210, Lytle 4222, Glace 3010, Guenot 2002, Dilosky 3000, Croyle 3000, Coutret 1000, Ryder 2010, Morlock 3110, Cantolina 3100.  TOTALS 27 6 6 4.

E:  Shaw, VonGunden; McDowell, Dilosky, Morlock, Cantolina (3).  LOB:  CV-9; WB-1.  2B-Ja. Terry, Francisco; McDowell, Lytle.  3B-Lytle.  SAC-VonGunden.  SF-Guenot.  SB-Strickland, Shaw, Ja. Terry, Timko, Lancaster.  CS-Ja. Terry.

Pitching

Curwensville:  Timko-CG, 6 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 6 K, 2 BB.
West Branch:  McDowell-3 IP, 10 H, 11 R, 6 ER, 4 K, 2 BB; Glace-4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 6 K, 1 BB.

W-Timko
L-McDowell

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