Curwensville Triumphs in Extra Inning Thriller over Brockway

CURWENSVILLE — Compared to the season one year ago, the Curwensville Golden Tide baseball squad has improved their game.  The win total is doubled, and as the season progressed it became more clear of who was most comfortable in certain positions.  Although some games would be out of reach, a majority of the season saw the Tide go the entire 7-inning distance, win or lose, and battle right to the final out.

Entering Tuesday’s contest, the Tide knew that this game would be the final one of the season in the shadow of the high school, and coach Tom Harzinski wanted to see his team go out in the best way they could.

Across the field in the other dugout, the Brockway Rovers came in with the hopes of spoiling the party, and sending the home squad to the showers on the wrong end of the scoreboard.

Those in attendance got more than expected on this afternoon.  The skies were heavy with the possibility of rain coming throughout the day, but each team was delivering a different threat on the diamond.  That came in the form of a possible pitching duel.  Corey Carr was dealing on the mound for the Rovers, while the combination of Noah Strickland, Bryce Timko and R.J. Olson were pushing the Tide right with the opposition.

Neither team gave up, and seven innings wasn’t enough to decide, so both teams provided the fans with a little extra baseball.

It came down to the final at-bat, and in doing so, Curwensville gave the fans the thrill they had hoped to witness in a game that could have gone either way.  In walk-off fashion, the Tide would pull off the thrilling 3-2 victory in eight innings.

“It was a great victory, for sure,” Harzinski said afterwards.  “It was a pitcher’s duel all game long.  It was their one against our three, but both teams were dealing today.”

Carr would get the start for Brockway, and in a game that normally would go the advertised distance, his game was among the best of the season.  A seven-inning, five-hit performance was the best of the season for Carr, but it came without a decision.

His day would start off with a challenge, as he walked both Strickland and Noah VonGunden in the first.  Timko then connected in his first at-bat of the game, nailing an RBI-single to right-center field to bring Strickland home for the opening run of the game.

Brockway would answer back in the top of the second inning.  After a walk by Angelo Inzana, Jarrett Esposito would connect on a 2-1 pitch to the gap in right-center.  Two batters later, Hunter Antonuccio would hit an infield single to third, and it would bring Inzana home to tie the game at one.

The third inning would see Brockway get their first, and ultimately only, lead of the game.  Carr himself was the one to make it home following the lone fielding error from the Tide.  Austin Butlin would lose the handle on the ball on a stolen base attempt, and the unearned run would give the Rovers the 2-1 advantage.

In the lower half of the frame, the Tide battled back.  After VonGunden was walked for a second time, Timko would connect on a controversial deep single down the third-base line.  Fans for the visitors were screaming at the umpire at home for calling the ball fair, while they were claiming the hit landed outside the foul line.  The call stood, because it put runners on first and second, and Jake Terry would make the Rovers pay.  His lone hit came at a critical point, hitting the gap in shallow right, and it was enough for VonGunden to make it around to home to knot the game up again at two runs a piece.

At that point, the pitchers would put on a show.

Carr would yield only two hits over the course of the next three innings.  His lone difficult task came in the fifth inning.  With two outs, a fielding error by Braden Martini, then a walk by Jake Terry and a single by R.J. Olson loaded the bases.  However, on the first pitch to Hunter Lancaster, the ball sailed right to center field for the third out.

However, the real jewel at the mound came when Timko entered after one out in the fourth inning.  His afternoon would see  him yield only one hit over his three and two-thirds innings of work, striking out six in the process.

But, the pressure got turned up to the boiling point in the top of the seventh inning.  Timko saw Mike Martino hit his first pitch of the inning to shallow right, and then Carr would walk.  Shugarts would connect on his first offering, but the ball went right to Timko, and instead of heading to first, he threw to third for the force out of Martino.  Martini would strike out for the second out, but then while Inzana was at the plate, a high ball would allow Carr to steal third, while Shugarts moved to second.  Inzana would walk, loading up the bases for Timko.

It was the biggest jam of the game, as potentially three scoring runs were on base, with a fourth possible if Esposito was able to hit a grand slam.

Timko would pitch a long at-bat against Esposito, loading the count.  Harzinski looked at his young player and told him to stretch and focus, and take the shot.

His 3-2 pitch was the money shot, a fast ball right at the knees but right over the plate.  It was the third out, and left Brockway stranded on all sides of the diamond.  It was the highlight of the game. Timko came off the field thanking his teammates, and looked ready to head to the bottom of the inning with more confidence than when he entered the game.  Harzinski credits Timko for getting out of the bases-loaded jam as the big turnaround for the Tide.

“Our pitching was phenomenal.  Noah had a great three and one-third innings, and then Bryce was simply lights out,” he said.  “That seventh inning, that was a lot of effort on his part to get out of that bases-loaded situation.”

Carr’s day would come to a close after three ground outs in the seventh, and with things still tied up at two runs each, it was extra baseball the fans received.

Olson moved from first base to the pitcher’s mound to start the eighth, after moving to first when Timko came to the mound with Strickland moving to right field.  His afternoon, which had turned into evening, saw him take on just four batters, striking out only one, and just one walk.  After a bit of rest, the bottom of the eighth inning was set to go, and started with a pitching change.

Alex Lindemuth took over on the mound, with Carr moving to the shortstop position.  Things did not get off to a great start, as Lancaster would walk to begin the inning.

Garrett Shaw then took the biggest at-bat of the game as he went for the sacrifice bunt to move Lancaster to second.  However, Lindemuth would not get a handle on the ball, and Shaw would get on base.  Austin Butlin was then intentionally walked to load the bases to set up a force at any base.

Into the batter box then came the brother of Jake Terry, Josh.  His afternoon was one to forget at that point as his three at-bats all ended in strike outs, two of them being called by the umpire.  Josh would get ahead in the count with two balls to just one strike, and Harzinski kept telling him to just connect.  Lindemuth then went for the 2-1 pitch, and Josh got a piece of it.  Martini came up to try and grab the ball, but it bobbled in his hand.

It counted as an infield single, and that single hit would be the one to bring Lancaster home and give the Tide one final home victory on the year.

“I keep saying that ‘your time is coming,’ and today it was Josh’s.  He wasn’t productive in his first at-bats, but he came through when needed,” Harzinski said.

The Tide (7-12) have one game remaining on the schedule on Thursday, but Harzinski let his team savor the victory at home, especially with how it was earned.

“Our seniors deserved this one.  I give a lot of credit to Brockway, they battled hard all game and wouldn’t quit.  Carr pitched a spectacular game.  But it’s a good way to close out at home, for sure,” Harzinski said.

The final game for Curwensville will be just up the road on Rt. 879 as they will travel to take on Clearfield.

SCORE BY INNING

Brockway  011 000 00 – 2 7 3
Curwensville  101 000 01 – 3 6 1

Brockway – 2

Antonuccio-SS 4030, Isabella-LF 3010, Martino-RF 5010, Carr-P/2B 2110, Shugarts-1B 3000, Martini-3B 4000, Inzana-CF 0100, Esposito-C 4010, Lindemuth-2B/P 4000.  TOTALS 29 2 7 0.

Curwensville – 3

Strickland-P/RF 2100, VonGunden-2B 1100, Francisco-PH 1000, Timko-1B/P 4021, Ja. Terry-SS 3011, Olson-RF/1B/P 4000, Lancaster-C 2100, Shaw-LF 4030, Butlin-3B 2000, Lansberry-PH 1000, Jo. Terry-CF 3001, McClure-PH 1000.  TOTALS 28 3 6 3.

E:  Antonuccio, Martini, Lindemuth; Butlin.  LOB:  BY-13; CV-10.  FC-Shugarts; Butlin, Lansberry.  HBP-Carr; Lancaster.  SB-Antonuccio, Carr (2), Shugarts (2), Inzana; VonGunden.  CS-Antonuccio, Isabella.

Pitching

Brockway:  Carr-7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 7 K, 5 BB; Lindemuth-0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 K, 2 BB.
Curwensville:  Strickland-3.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 K, 3 BB; Timko-3.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 6 K, 5 BB; Olson-1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 1 BB.

W-Olson. L-Lindemuth.

Golden Tide Scoreboard: