KANE — Having to wait seven days to get back on the baseball diamond was not the plan the Curwensville Golden Tide originally had for the start of the season. But, weather late last week forced a lot of moves, and it kept the Tide idle for seven days. Luckily, the weather began cooperating as one week to the day of the season-opener, Curwensville loaded up the bus and headed to Kane for a duel on the diamond against the Wolves.
Curwensville fell behind early, but pulled back to make the game interesting. However, the Wolves roared back to hand the Tide a devastating 9-4 loss, their second straight.
The scoring began in the second inning, as an unearned run courtesy of a fielding error by Keegan Wilson at first base brought Reese Novosel to home plate. One batter later, Bobby Rumcik got another unearned run as starting pitcher Jake Mullins committed the second error in as many at-bats. The Wolves added another run in the third inning thanks to an RBI-double by Carson Whiteman, making it 3-0 in favor of the home squad.
Yet, Curwensville stayed in it, and in the top of the fifth made the game interesting.
After Josh Shaffer walked to open the inning, then advanced to second on a passed ball, he would make it home on a fielding error by Shane Ackley. Mullins advanced to second on the error, then rounded home thanks to an RBI-double to center field via Shane Hoover. Suddenly the Tide were within a run of tying.
Hoover would get that, scoring run one batter later when Keegan Wilson singled to right field. Midway through the fifth, it was all tied at three runs each.
Suddenly, in the bottom of the inning, following a pitching change, everything went awry.
Following Mullins’ three innings of work, Shane Sunderlin took to the mound. After giving up a walk and a double, Rumcik placed a perfect bunt to bring Whiteman home to make it 4-3 in favor of the Wolves. Two batters later, he would score on another well-placed bunt by Isaac Smith.
Two runs would score from the next at-bat, thanks to a fielder’s choice. With two outs on the board, the score suddenly went from tied to the Wolves ahead by four, and they weren’t done yet as a pair of RBI-singles in successive at-bats gave Kane a 9-3 lead.
Sunderlin’s six run inning, unfortunately, netted him the loss on the afternoon. Harley Morris, who took over at the mound in the bottom of the fifth, would earn the win for the Wolves.
Curwensville added one more run in the seventh inning when Tyler Lee hammered a single to left field, bringing home Matt Brown. Unfortunately, with the bases loaded and two outs, Aiden Sutika would strike out in his pinch-hitter role, setting the final score.
The Tide (0-2) get a bit of a break as they will be back on the diamond Thursday afternoon when they host a 4:15 contest against Elk County Catholic.
SCORE BY INNING
Curwensville 000 030 1 – 4 7 2
Kane 021 060 X – 9 8 2
CURWENSVILLE – 4
Jake Mullins 3110, Spencer Hoover 4111, Keegan Wilson 4021, Matt Brown 2100, Shane Sunderlin 3010, Shane Haney 0000, Tyler Lee 4021, Thad Butler 2000, Josh Shaffer 2100, Jayson Rowles 0000, Chase Graham 3000, Aiden Sutika 1000. TOTALS 28 4 7 3.
KANE – 9
Harley Morris 4121, Andrew Jekielek 3121, Carson Whiteman 2111, Curtis Barner 4110, Reese Novosel 2100, Bobby Rumcik 2211, Trenton Bradybaugh 2000, Lucas Burrs 0100, Isaac Smith 3011, Shane Ackley 2102. TOTALS 24 9 8 7.
LOB: 11/5
E: Mullins, Wilson/Ackley, Morris
2B: Hoover/Barner, Jekielek, Whiteman
FC: Ackley
HBP: Ackley, Burrs, Novosel
SB: Butler, Mullins, Wilson/Morris
CS: Jekielek, Whiteman
PITCHING
Curwensville: Mullins-3 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 5 SO, 3 BB; Sunderlin-2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 SO, 1 BB; Lee-1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 SO, 1 BB.
Kane: Whiteman-4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 9 SO, 2 BB; Morris-3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 SO, 6 BB.
W-Morris
L-Sunderlin