Lady Tide Defeated 8-1 by Damsels in Opener

CURWENSVILLE — Moshannon Valley spoiled the Curwensville Area High School softball team’s season opener, 8-1, behind the right arm of Sidney Lewis and the booming bat of Kendra Merritt at sunny Riverside Field Wednesday afternoon.

Lewis fired a three-hitter with seven strikeouts and Merritt drove in four runs with a pair of extra base blows in the Moshannon Valley League game.

The Lady Tide broke on top in the second inning, though, as Bailey Bloom lashed a single to left center, moved up on a groundout and scored when Camryn Richards singled to right center.

Then, Merritt came through with the game changer in the top of the third, blasting her homer deep over the left field fence following a walk and Mackenzie Lansberry’s infield single.

That was all Lewis needed as the junior right-hander settled down to no-hit the hosts the rest of the way, retiring 12 batters in a row before issuing the first of her two walks with two outs in the sixth frame.

“Our bats were sure silent, but that’s probably one of the best pitchers we’re gonna see all year,” Curwensville coach Allen Leigey said.

The Damsels got to junior Clerissa Cole for five hits and four runs in the fourth inning, the RBIs going to Lansberry on a double to left, Lewis on a groundout and Chloe Blake on a single into left.

Sophomore Rachel LeGars pitched the last three innings for the Lady Tide, giving up only two hits and an unearned run in the sixth when Merritt’s ringing double to left drove in Lewis, who had reached on an error.

The Curwensville duo combined for four strikeouts and three walks while surrendering 11 hits and six earned runs.

“We aren’t very mature in the circle,” Leigey noted. “The two girls I pitched have never thrown in a varsity game so I have to get their feet wet. And they did. They held up pretty good.

“My biggest concern was walks. I said, ‘You did what I asked you to do. Throw strikes.’ I’d rather see them hit a home run than us walk the bases (full) and walk ‘em in. We accomplished that, but we’ve gotta get better there.

“I thought we did okay for our opening game. I was pleasantly pleased with some of our play. I’m just glad we competed.

“I told them we’ve got games we can win if play a little better than today, because Mo Valley is no slouch. They’re well-coached and they’re gonna be pretty competitive in both leagues.”

Lansberry and Emma Kitko had three hits apiece for the all-underclassmen Damsel team.

The Lady Tide will be home again Thursday for their Northern Allegany League Small School South Division opener against Brockway at 4:15 p.m.

MOSHANNON VALLEY — 8

Elmira Hope-Eckland ss 4210, Mackenzie Lansberry cf 4231, Sidney Lewis 2101, Kendra Merritt 1b 4124, Chloe Blake c 3011, McKenzie McCoy 3b 4000, Emma Kitko rf 4130, Madison O’Donnell lf 2110, Aubrey Dotts ph 0000, Hailey Domanick 2b 2000, Tess Randolph ph 1000. TOTALS: 30 8 11 7.

CURWENSVILLE — 1

Hannah Dixon ss 3010, Keisha Maines lf 2000, Anne Hoover lf 0000, Kayley Harnett 2b 3000, Bailey Bloom c 3110, Chloe Tubbs 3b 2000, Olivia McGarry pr 0000, Kelsi Bumbarger dp 1000, Hannah Tilton dp 2000, Camryn Richards rf 3011, Ariel Zattoni cf 2000, Lauren Tozer 1b 1000, Mackenzie Anderson ph 1000, Clerissa Cole p (flex) 0000, Rachel LeGars p (flex) 0000. TOTALS: 23 1 2 1.

Score by Innings

Moshannon Valley    003  401  0 –  8  11  0
Curwensville              010  000  0 –  1    2  3
E – Harnett, Bloom, Tozer. DP – Moshannon Valley 1 (Lewis and Merritt); Curwensville 1 (Harnett and Tozer). LOB – Moshannon Valley 8; Curwensville 3. 2B – Lansberry, Merritt. HR – Merritt. Sac – Lewis, O‘Donnell, Domanick. SB – Lansberry.

Pitching

Moshannon Valley – Lewis 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K.
Curwensville – Cole 4 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 2 K; LeGars 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K.
WP – LeGars 1.
W – Lewis (1-0). L – Cole (0-1).

Umpires – Kenny Knepp (plate) and Jay Siegel (bases).

Lady Tide Scoreboard: