Lady Tide Break Into Win Column With DH Sweep

CURWENSVILLE — Junior Clerissa Cole pitched a complete game four-hitter and sophomore Rachel LeGars fashioned a three-inning, one-hit shutout while Hannah Dixon fueled the offense with a full stat line as the Curwensville Area High School softball swept Sheffield, 9-2 and 17-0, in a Northern Allegany League Small School South Division doubleheader at Riverside Field Wednesday afternoon.

“I gave both pitchers game balls because that was their first varsity wins,” Lady Tide coach Allen Leigey said. “I told them what impressed me the most was we played 10 innings and walked one batter.

“That’s all I ask from them. Just throw strikes, and keep us in the game. And they’ve done that all year.

“We‘re gonna win some games if they keep doing that and if my bats come alive.”

They did in the opener with the Lady Tide collecting 11 hits.

Because of 13 walks, they needed only six hits for the abbreviated Mercy Rule win in the nightcap.

Dixon, the Lady Tide leadoff batter, enjoyed a banner day at the plate, either igniting or being in the middle of all six scoring innings with five hits, one walk, seven runs scored and three runs driven in.

“Hannah’s my leader,” Leigey said. “She does exactly what you want her to do. She’ll get on one way or another and, with her sheer speed, she’ll just make something happen. If she gets on, we usually score.”

In the first game, Dixon beat out a bunt, stole two bases and scored on Bailey Bloom’s groundout to match the run the Lady Wolves got off Cole in the top of the first inning.

She broke the tie with an RBI single and later dashed to the plate on a wild pitch during the Lady Tide’s six-run outburst in the third frame.

After opening the fifth by ripping a single into left field, Dixon stole second ahead of Kayley Barnett’s RBI double to deep left center. Later, Bailey Boom tripled to deep left and Camryn Richards followed with a double to the fence in center for the Lady Tide’s final run.

“That’s what I needed them to do,” Leigey said. “We hadn’t been stringing any hits together.”

Cole spaced four singles while striking out five Lady Wolves, walking one and hitting one.

“What I liked about her, she was right around where I was telling her to throw,” Leigey said. “She was trying to hit spots and managing to do it, staying outside when I wanted her out, in when I wanted her in and down when I wanted her down.

“She deserved to win 9-0, because we boned up some plays. Those two runs weren’t earned.”

The defense didn’t get many opportunities in the second game, for LeGars whiffed five of the 10 batters she faced while allowing only a first-inning double by Mya Grubbs.

“Rach only has been pitching since last June,” Leigey noted. “If you had seen her then, she couldn’t throw a lot of strikes, but she’s worked her tail off.”

Only four of the Curwensville runs were earned because of six errors by Sheffield (0-3).

Richards drove in four runs with a groundout, a bases-loaded walk and a double that was one of the big hits in the 10-run third inning that included a two-run double by Lauren Tozer and a two-run triple by Dixon.

Bloom, Kayley Harnett and Ariel Zattoni also had pairs of RBIs.

Curwensville (2-3) will go to Kane for a NAL game Tuesday.

GAME ONE

SHEFFIELD — 2

Marissa Grubbs 3b 4000, Claire Pierson p 4000, Mya Grubbs ss 3220, Ashley Frederick 1b 4000, Faite Smith c 3011, Jerika Dexter 2b 3010, Ivory McCartney cf 2000, Kennidee Confer lf 3000, Jasmine Vera rf 3000. TOTALS: 29 2 4 1.

CURWENSVILLE — 9

Hannah Dixon ss 4331, Kayley Harnett 2b 4111, Bailey Bloom c 3221, Camryn Richards rf 3011, Chloe Tubbs 3b 3100, Keisha Maines lf 3100, Mackenzie Anderson dp 4022, Anne Hoover pr 0000, Ariel Zattoni cf 3110, Lauren Tozer 1b 2010, Kelsi Bumbarger pr 0000, Clerissa Cole p (flex) 0000. TOTALS: 29 9 11 6.

Score by Innings

Sheffield 100 010 0 – 2 4 2
Curwensville 106 002 x – 9 11 4
E – Pierson, Dexter; Dixon, Harnett, Tubbs 2. LOB – Sheffield 8; Curwensville 7. 2B – Harnett, Richards. 3B – Bloom. SB – Dixon 3, Tubbs.

Pitching

Sheffield – Pierson 6 IP, 11 H, 9 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 1 K.
Curwensville – Cole 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K.
HB – Cole 1 (McCartney). WP – Pierson 3.
W – (1-2) Cole. L – Pierson.

Umpires – Larry Nairn (plate) and Tony Olsavsky (bases).

* * * * * * * * * *

GAME TWO

CURWENSVILLE — 17

Dixon ss 3422, Harnett 2b 1412, Bloom c 2102, Richards rf 3214, Tubbs 3b 0201, Maines lf 2000, Anderson dp 1001, Hoover ph 0100, Zattoni cf 2112, Tozer 1b 2112, Bumbarger pr 1100, Rachel LeGars p (flex) 0000. TOTALS: 17 17 6 16.

SHEFFIELD — 0

Ma. Grubbs p 2000, Pierson c 1000, My. Grubbs ss 1010, Frederick 1b 1000, Smith 3b 1000, Dexter 2b 1000, McCartney cf 1000, Confer lf 0000, Llenifer Ayllon ph 1000, Carmen Baeza lf 1000. TOTALS: 10 0 1 0.

Score by Innings

Curwensville 25(10) – 17 16 0
Sheffield 00 0 – 0 0 6
E – Ma. Grubbs, Pierson, Frederick 2, Baeza 2. LOB – Curwensville 5; Sheffield 1. 2B – Tozer. 3B – Dixon, Richards. SF – Harnett. SB – Dixon, Harnett.

Pitching

Curwensville – LeGars 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K.
Sheffield – Ma. Grubbs 3 IP, 6 H, 17 R, 4 ER, 13 BB, 3 K.
WP – Ma. Grubbs 2.
W – LeGars (1-1). L – Ma. Grubbs.

Umpires – Olsavsky (plate) and Nairn (bases).

Lady Tide Scoreboard: