CURWENSVILLE – The opening of the District 9 AA softball playoffs start on Monday in Curwensville with the Lady Tide (11-9), the number four seed, hosting the defending AA title holders Moniteau, this year’s five seed.
Only five teams entered the playoffs out of the eight teams in District 9 AA and the Lady Tide versus the Lady Warriors is the only quarterfinal contest with the game starting at 4 pm.
Cranberry is the number one seed, with Redbank Valley the two and Johnsonburg at number three. All three have received byes into the semifinals with Johnsonburg playing at Redbank Valley on Wednesday.
The winner of the Curwensville-Moniteau game will play at Cranberry on Wednesday in the semifinals with the first pitch set for 4 pm.
Making a habit of playing in the District 9 playoffs, the Lady Tide under head coach Allen Leigey have now been in post season play 15 straight years and 16 of the 17 years Leigey has been at the helm.
With Leigey sporting an overall record of 240-128, the Curwensville girls have won three District 9 championships.
The Lady Tide have layed claim to two District 9 “A” titles, 2007 and 2009, and one “AA” title in 2013. They also have claimed PIAA “A” State Championships in 2007 and 2009.
Moniteau is coming off of a 21-1 season after winning its fourth straight District 9 “AA” crown before losing in the first round of the PIAA playoffs a year ago against Chartiers-Houston 1-0.
Since 2007, the Lady Warriors have picked up a total of seven D-9 “AA” first place trophies which includes the seasons of 2007, 2008, 2011, plus the last four.
This year has been somewhat of an off year for Moniteau, finishing the regular season with a below .500 record at 7-11.
However, the Lady Warriors do have some very capable offensive weapons, with many being underclassmen as it has just two seniors on the entire 2018 roster.
Junior Amanda Dailey leads the Lady Warriors in hitting with a .484 batting average followed by sophomore Cassidy Claypoole at .438. Lexi Miller, also a sophomore, is batting .426 and junior Dolcey Shunk comes in hitting at .418.
Dailey also leads Moniteau with 20 RBIs, 30 hits and four triples.
Shunk has knocked in 16 teammates for the Lady Warriors while also leading the team in runs scored with 27. The only home run on the season for Moniteau belongs to Shunk.
Another underclassman who should not be overlooked is freshman Abby Rottmen, who is hitting .319 with 19 RBIs, 19 runs scored and leading her squad with seven doubles.
Curwensville, with 18 games reported, is led in hitting (minimum of 30 at bats) by freshman shortstop Abby Pentz at .419, then junior second baseman/right fielder Keisha Maines hitting .361 followed by sophomore catcher Bailey Bloom batting .345, and third baseman, senior Sabrina Spencer, at .343.
Leading the Lady Tide in hits is Pentz with 26 and Spencer with 24. Both are tied for the team lead in runs scored with 20.
The RBI leader for Curwensville is designated player Mackenzie Anderson, a senior, with 14.
No home runs have been hit this year for the Tide, but Pentz has three triples while Bloom and Pentz each have six doubles.
Curwensville has utilized mostly two pitchers this year with junior Rachel LeGars leading the team in wins with seven followed by senior Clerissia Cole with four.
Last year the Lady Tide lost in the District 9 “AA” quarterfinals to Johnsonburg by a 10-0 score.
The last time Curwensville played Moniteau was in 2014 in the D-9 semifinals with the Lady Warriors coming out on top with a 4-0 victory.
Listen to the Curwensville-Moniteau game Monday on WOKW-FM, 102.9, with the pre-game show beginning at 3:45 pm.
Lady Tide Scoreboard:
Date Opponent Score Record
3/26 CLEARFIELD 2 – 14 0 – 1
3/27 @ Brockway ppd. 0 – 1
4/04 ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC ppd. 0 – 1
4/06 @ West Branch 1 – 13 0 – 2
4/07 @ Brockway ppd. 0 – 2
4/09 JOHNSONBURG ppd. 0 – 2
4/13 @ Purchase Line 6 – 2 1 – 2
4/14 @ Brockway 14 – 0 2 – 2
4/17 KANE ppd. 2 – 2
4/19 @ DuBois Central Catholic ppd. 2 – 2
4/21 ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC 7 – 9 2 – 3
4/23 JOHNSONBURG 3 – 2, 9 inn. 3 – 3
4/24 BROCKWAY 14 – 4 4 – 3
4/26 @ Mo Valley 5 – 13 4 – 4
4/27 PURCHASE LINE 9 – 4 5 – 4
4/28 @ North Star 7 – 2 6 – 4
4/30 GLENDALE 3 – 13 6 – 5
5/01 @ Elk County Catholic 4 – 14 6 – 6
5/02 @ DuBois Central Catholic 2 – 13 6 – 7
5/07 @ Harmony 16 – 0 7 – 7
5/08 @ Sheffield 25 – 5 8 – 7
5/08 @ Sheffield 16 – 1 9 – 7
5/09 KANE 14 – 0 10 – 7
5/09 KANE 7 – 6 11 – 7
5/15 @ Johnsonburg 3 – 8 11 – 8
5/16 DUBOIS CENTRAL CATH. ppd. 11 – 8
5/17 @ DuBois Central Catholic 5 – 11 11 – 9
5/21 District 9 Playoffs
5/21 MONITEAU