CURWENSVILLE – For the 14th time in his 15 years as Curwensville Area High School head softball coach Allen Leigey has guided the Lady Tide to the District 9 playoffs.
During that span Curwensville has collected two District 9 “A” titles, 2007 and 2009, and a “AA” championship in 2013. And, of course, the Lady Tide are owners of two PIAA Class “A” state titles, in 2007 and again in 2009.
The only year, under Leigey, that the Lady Tide did not make the District 9 playoffs was in 2003. This year, then, is the 13th straight season Curwensville is in the post season.
The road to another District 9 title begins Monday when Curwensville opens up traveling to Clarion to battle the Lady Bobcats with the first pitch set for 4:30 pm in a quarterfinal match-up.
Curwensville is the sixth seed with a record of 11-9 while the Lady Bobcats, at 13-7, are seeded number two.
Both teams opened the season back on March 24 with the Lady Tide beating Clarion, 3-1, in Curwensville.
Lady Tide senior pitcher Rylee Young surrendered five hits and struck out seven, while another senior, first baseman Kayli Sedgwick had two hits, with one being a double.
Young and designated player Emily Miller also stroked doubles that afternoon.
Leigey said recently, “Now we start to gear up for the playoffs starting Monday against Clarion. We feel if we can play the way we know we can, then we can make some noise in the postseason. We just need to get our bats working some more and keep on producing.”
In the circle, Young has all the Lady Tide decisions with an 11-9 record, an ERA of 1.47 and a great strikeout to walk ratio.
Young has struck out 170 opposing hitters while walking just nine and allowing 27 earned runs on 112 hits.
Curwensville’s offense at times struggled, but the starting line-up does have four players hitting over .300 with Emily Miller, the designated player, leading the team with a batting average of .352.
Madison Bumbarger, the centerfielder, is next at .341, followed by shortstop Kaylee Harnett at .339 and Young at .333 and leading the team with 21 hits.
Harnett checks in with 20 hits and tied for second in RBI’s with 11 along with Young.
Catcher Haley McGarry has the most RBI’s with 12.
Junior third baseman Hannah Dixon has scored the most runs for the Lady Tide with 16 and is always a threat when on base with 15 steals.
The Lady Tide have 24 extra base hits with 17 doubles and seven triples. Young and Harnett each have four doubles while Dixon has smacked three triples.
Listen to the Curwensville-Clarion playoff game on WOKW-FM, 102.9, starting Monday at 4:15 pm with the pre-game show.
The other quarter-final games are also on Monday as follows:
# 8 Cameron County (6-8) at # 1 DuBois Central Catholic (19-0)
# 5 A. C. Valley (10-7) at # 4 Smethport (11-5)
# 7 Elk County Catholic (7-11) at # 2 Coudersport (12-3)
NOTE: ALL GAMES START AT 4:30 pm.
Lady Tide Scoreboard:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 3/24 | CLARION | 3 – 1 | 1 – 0 |
| 4/04 | JOHNSONBURG | ppd. | 1 – 0 |
| 4/05 | JOHNSONBURG | 3 – 2 | 2 – 0 |
| 4/06 | @ Elk County Catholic | 10 – 6 | 3 – 0 |
| 4/09 | @ Moshannon Valley | ppd. | 3 – 0 |
| 4/11 | GLENDALE | ppd. | 3 – 0 |
| 4/13 | @ Purchase Line | 2 – 4 | 3 – 1 |
| 4/14 | KANE | 10 – 0 | 4 – 1 |
| 4/18 | @ Harmony | 4 – 1 | 5 – 1 |
| 4/19 | GLENDALE | 0 – 5 | 5 – 2 |
| 4/21 | BROCKWAY | 1 – 5 | 5 – 3 |
| 4/25 | PURCHASE LINE | 11 – 1 | 6 – 3 |
| 4/27 | @ Johnsonburg | 2 – 7 | 6 – 4 |
| 4/29 | @ DuBois Central Catholic | ppd. | 6 – 4 |
| 5/02 | ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC | ppd. | 6 – 4 |
| 5/04 | @ Sheffield | 5 – 0 | 7 – 4 |
| 5/04 | @ Sheffield | 12 – 0 | 8 – 4 |
| 5/05 | CLEARFIELD | 1 – 3 | 8 – 5 |
| 5/07 | @ DuBois Central Catholic | 0 – 10 | 8 – 6 |
| 5/09 | @ West Branch | 1 – 2 | 8 – 7 |
| 5/10 | @ Kane | 15 – 0 | 9 – 7 |
| 5/12 | DUBOIS CENTRAL CATH. | 0 – 4 | 9 – 8 |
| 5/16 | @ Moshannon Valley | 0 – 1 | 9 – 9 |
| 5/17 | @ Brockway | 7 – 2 | 10 – 9 |
| 5/19 | ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC | 4 – 0 | 11 – 9 |
| 5/23 | D9 A Playoffs | ||
| 5/23 | @ Clarion |
