CURWENSVILLE — The end of the regular season is here for the Curwensville Golden Tide, a season that saw a lot of highs, exceptional victories, and thrilling moments. Despite the latest setback being a bad run of weather, the Tide took to their home field one last time for the season before playoffs on Thursday afternoon.
Unlike a normal afternoon, this contest took place early in the school day as with playoffs beginning soon, games were needing made up. Coming to play as the opposition was the DuBois Central Catholic Cardinals, ready to spoil the last home contest with the school body in attendance.
Spoil they did, in a major fashion. The pitching combination of Thomas Grecco and Noah Bloom were dealing left, right, and down the middle. The duo on the visiting squad saw just three different Tide players reach first base. Four total walks and one fielding error were the lone blemishes for the Cardinals the entire game, as the strong pitching combined with the tough defense prevented Curwensville from earning a single hit, the first time all season for the Tide.
Meanwhile, offensively, a 13-hit outing by the Cardinals was more than enough for the visiting team to earn the 7-0 triumph on the day.
The Cardinals got on the board in the first inning in quick fashion. Noah VonGunden got the start, but after an opening strikeout, Brandon Walker singled to the left field wall. After Walker stole second, Justin Miknis flew out for the second out. But Grecco then helped his own cause with a liner up the gap between second and third, bringing Walker to the plate for the opening run.
Curwensville had a scorer in positing in the bottom of the inning, as Avery Francisco walked then stole second. Unfortunately, with Bryce Timko at bat, Francisco got caught in a rundown, and got picked off for the out, the inning ended after VonGunden lined out to right field, and Ralph Evans struck out swinging.
Grecco kept dealing for five consecutive innings, yielding only a pair of walks, and striking out eight batters.
Meanwhile, offensively the Cardinals were just getting started, as beginning in the third inning they went on a roll that saw them open up the lead even more.
Miknis got things started in the third inning with an RBI-double to bring in Walker, his second run of the game. An inning later, Bloom came across the plate on an RBI-single by Tyler McIntosh.
The fifth inning was where the Cardinals really opened things up.
After Walker grounded out to third, Miknis started with a single into right field. Next batter up, Grecco blasted a double right to the center field wall, as Miknis rounded the bases from first to increase the gap to 4-0. Garrett Prosper then lined a single just over the infield that moved Grecco to third, putting runners at the corners. Anthony Kness hooked a liner into right field, easily letting Grecco come home for the second run of the inning.
Bloom then allowed Prosper to cross home on another RBI-single that increased the lead to 6-0.
After the fifth inning, both teams elected to change pitchers. Bloom took over in the sixth for DuBois Central Catholic, while Curwensville went to the right arm of Jake McCracken.
Things still didn’t change for the Tide because the sixth inning was three batters, and three strikeouts.
The final run of the game took place in the top of the seventh. Kness got a run in, although it came on a double play as he grounded into the 6-4-3 that also saw Prosper get thrown out. But, it was enough to bring Domenic Toretti to the plate for the seventh run.
Curwensville tried to get something going in the bottom of the inning, but a fielder’s choice after a walk, plus a fly out and a line out ended the game, sealing up the no-hitter for the visitors.
Curwensville (10-8) now awaits the brackets for the 2018 District 9 playoffs for their first-round matchup.
SCORE BY INNING
D.C. Catholic 101 130 1 – 7 13 1
Curwensville 000 000 0 – 0 0 1
DuBois Central Catholic – 7
McIntosh CF 4021, Walker C 3210, Miknis SS 4121, Grecco P/3B 4122, Toretti RF 4110, Prosper 1B 3111, Kness 2B 3010, Bloom 3B/P 3131, Foster LF 3000, Felix PH 1000, Way CR 0000. TOTALS 32 7 13 6.
Curwensville – 0
VonGunden P/SS 2000, Evans 2B 2000, Francisco C 1000, Timko LF 3000, McCracken CF/P 3000, Brewer 1B 3000, Bakaysa RF 2000, Bressler DH 2000, Terry SS/CF 2000. TOTALS 20 0 0 0.
LOB: DCC – 8; Cville – 3. E: Miknis/VonGunden. 2B: Miknis, Grecco. SAC: Kness. SB: Walker, Bloom, McIntosh, Toretti/Francisco. HBP: Walker.
PITCHING
D.C. Catholic: Grecco-5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 8 SO, 2 BB; Bloom-2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 SO, 2 BB.
Curwensville: VonGunden-5 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 SO, 2 BB; McCracken-2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 SO, 0 BB.
WP-Grecco (5-1). LP-VonGunden (2-5).
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 12 – 2 10 – 6
5/09 @ Kane 5 – 6 10 – 7
5/15 @ Clearfield cancelled 10 – 7
5/16 DUBOIS CENTRAL CATH. ppd. 10 – 7
5/17 DUBOIS CENTRAL CATH. 0 – 7 10 – 8
TBD District 9 Playoffs