GLENDALE — Curwensville’s week on the baseball diamond got off on such a great foot, it felt as though it was just luck or timely hitting that allowed the Golden Tide to lock up a playoff berth. Their 18-run performance against Harmony on Monday was one that no one anticipated, not even the Tide themselves.
With the postseason officially secure, Tom Harzinski and team loaded up again for the second road trip of the week, this time out to Glendale to face off with the Vikings.
For Curwensville, it was a case of same song, different verse. In this case, same outcome, different opponent.
The bats were out in full force as all but two Tide players provided a hit on this afternoon, with all but one accounting for a run. Curwensville made quick work of the Vikings, achieving a convincing 17-2 victory that lasted only five innings.
Neither team got things going in the first inning, but things changed immediately in the top of the second. One day after keeping his undefeated pitching record intact, Bryce Timko led off the visiting squad against Viking starter Josh Potutschnig. On an 0-1 pitch, Timko found his spot, and let the bat fly. The swing went as deep as one can go, heading directly to the center field wall, and then went over it. For just the second time this season overall, and the first time for TImko, Curwensville secured a home run, and just like that the score was 1-0.
Jake McCracken kept the momentum going, following up the home run with a double. After Zach Brewer and Jeremiah Farley struck out, pitcher Christian Bakaysa came to the plate and made his first at-bat worth every moment. On a 1-1 pitch, Bakaysa went opposite field to the right field wall, clearing out the bases on a two-RBI triple to make the score 3-0 after two.
The third inning, however, was the ultimate disaster for Glendale.
Ralph Evans starting things off with a line single up the right gap between the bases. Avery Francisco then followed with a double to put runners on second and third. Timko then hooked a ball to left field for an RBI-single to bring Evans home, opening the scoring on the inning.
With runners on the corners, McCracken then singled to load the bases. Back-to-back walks of Brewer and Bakaysa increased the lead to 6-0, with only one out on the board. Josh Terry then hammered a two-RBI single to left field to make the lead 8-0. A ground out from Noah VonGunden made the lead 9-0, while Evans’ second at-bat of the inning added the 10th run of the game.
Hoping to get some momentum going, and also to not end the afternoon so quickly, Glendale managed to plate a run each in the bottom of the third and fourth innings, one on an RBI-single by Dalton Gondek, and the other on a ground out by Garrett Vereshack.
The pair of runs kept the game going, but in the end, the fifth inning was the deciding factor for how long the afternoon would last.
After a walk to Brock Heitsenrether, Bakaysa came to the plate looking to make another impact. He did that on a 2-2 pitch following a pair of foul-offs, blasting the ball over the left field wall for a two-run home run to increase the lead again to 10 runs. Things went even more downhill from there for Potutschnig, who already given up 12 earned runs on the afternoon. Three consecutive singles by Terry, VonGunden, and Evans loaded the bases. Francisco then had the easiest way to make everyone move bases, although a bit painful, as he was struck on a 1-0 pitch, bringing Terry home.
Timko then walked to bring in VonGunden, and then McCracken walked to bring Evans home to make it 15-2. At this moment, it was clear the game was coming to an end after this inning.
Glendale made a pitching change, as Nick Blake took over still with no outs on the board.
It did not make much difference as after an infield fly for the first out, Heitsenrether walked to bring in Francisco. Two batters later, Cole Bressler hit an RBI-single to left field for the 17th run.
Francisco took over in the final inning on the mound, and despite a lead-off single plus a walk, a fly out plus a pair of strikeouts ended the afternoon as the Tide completed its second consecutive win, as they now have combined to score 35 runs in a matter of two days.
Curwensville (9-6) originally had games set up for both Wednesday and Thursday, both of which were to be against the Kane Wolves, one at home and one on the road. However, both teams came to an agreement that would ultimately benefit both in the long run. Rather than make both teams make road trips over two days, with each having games slated for the beginning of next week, the Tide and the Wolves will play a double-header on Wednesday afternoon in Kane.
The teams were to play one another in Kane on April 17 but weather forced the postponement.
The first game of the double-header will start at 3:15 p.m. Game two is tentatively set to start around 5:15 p.m, however that could change depending on how the first game transpires.
SCORE BY INNING
Curwensville 037 07 – 17 14 0
Glendale 001 10 – 2 6 0
Curwensville – 17
VonGunden SS 5111, Evans 2B 4231, Francisco RF/P 3211, Timko 1B 3322, McCracken LF/CF 3222, Brewer DH 2201, Farley 3B 2000, Heitsenrether 3B 0101, Bakaysa P/LF 3225, Terry CF/P 3122, Bressler RF 1111. TOTALS 29 17 14 17.
Glendale – 2
Potutschnig P/SS 3120, Gondek SS/CF 3021, Kasaback C 2000, Blake 1B/P 3000, Ulrich CF/LF 3110, Vereshack RF/1B/P 3010, Bennett 3B 2000, Spencer 2B 2001, Gustafson LF/SS/RF 2000. TOTALS 23 2 6 2.
LOB: Cville – 5, Glen -7. 2B: Francisco, McCracken/Ulrich. 3B: Bakaysa. HR: Bakaysa, Timko. HBP: Brewer, Francisco.
PITCHING
Curwensville: Bakaysa-3 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 SO, 0 BB; Terry-1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 SO, 0 BB; Francisco-1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 SO, 1 BB.
Glendale: Potutschnig-4 IP, 13 H, 15 R, 15 ER, 6 SO, 3 BB; Blake-0 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 SO, 2 BB; Vereshack-1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 SO, 1 BB.
WP-Bakaysa (2-0). LP-Potutschnig (0-1).
Golden Tide Scoreboard:
Date Opponent Score Record
3/23 @ Broadalbin-Perth, NY 1 – 2, 8 inn. 0 – 1
3/24 @ Friends Select School, PA 9 – 2 1 – 1
3/27 BROCKWAY ppd. 1 – 1
3/29 @ Punxsutawney ppd. 1 – 1
4/05 @ Elk County Catholic ppd. 1 – 1
4/06 @ West Branch 3 – 0 2 – 1
4/09 @ Johnsonburg ppd. 2 – 1
4/10 ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC 5 – 3 3 – 1
4/14 JOHNSONBURG 2 – 5 3 – 2
4/14 JOHNSONBURG 5 – 0 4 – 2
4/16 @ Glendale ppd. 4 – 2
4/17 @ Kane ppd. 4 – 2
4/19 @ DuBois Central Catholic 3 – 0 5 – 2
4/20 PUNXSUTAWNEY 1 – 2 5 – 3
4/23 CLEARFIELD 2 – 7 5 – 4
4/24 @ Brockway 3 – 7 5 – 5
4/26 MO VALLEY 1 – 0 6 – 5
4/30 BROCKWAY 3 – 1 7 – 5
5/01 @ Elk County Catholic 6 – 12 7 – 6
5/07 @ Harmony 18 – 0 8 – 6
5/08 @ Glendale 17 – 2 9 – 6
5/09 @ Kane
5/09 @ Kane
5/15 @ Clearfield
5/16 DUBOIS CENTRAL CATH.