KARNS CITY-This week has been kind to the Curwensville Golden Tide on the baseball diamond, at least after they escaped their covid-shutdown that postponed their previous two contests. On Wednesday, they put up 16 runs against Glendale to get to the .500-mark on the season, and looked to continue building on that on Friday when they traveled to face Karns City.
Whatever the Tide have been doing is working as head coach Tom Harzinski saw his team continue their hot streak by blasting 14 hits in a 12-9 victory over the Gremlins.
After going up in the top of the first with a single run, the Gremlins would take the lead courtesy of four runs in the bottom of the inning. An easy opening run came when Mike Neff was hit by pitcher Shane Sunderlin, which advanced a loaded infield. One batter later, the sacrifice fly from Braeden Grossman put Karns City out front. Hunter Troutman then doubled on the next at-bat to bring in two more runs, giving the home squad a 4-1 lead after one.
The Gremlins would get another run in the second, followed by Curwensville plating a pair in the third thanks to a two-RBI single by Matt Brown to pull within two runs. Unfortunately, the Gremlins answered back in the bottom half with a sacrifice fly, and an unearned run by Jacob Callihan on a passed ball.
It was the top of the fourth when Curwensville suddenly found the magic they had against Glendale two days earlier, putting the game almost out of reach.
An unearned run started things with Chris Fegert getting a bases-loaded walk. But, after a fielder’s choice from. Shane Hoover that saw Chase Graham tagged out at home plate, but left the bases loaded with two outs on the board. Keegan Wilson then watched an 0-1 pitch come his way, and with the swing of the bat blasted the ball on a liner to left field. That swing cleared the bases as a rare three-RBI double suddenly tied the score up at seven runs each. Curwensville got the lead for good one batter later when Brown hammered a hard single to second base, bringing Wilson home. Sunderlin then singled on a ground ball, and hoping to save the scoring further, Cole Sherwin took a shot at home to Grossman to save a run. But, Brown beat the throw to make the score 9-7.
Grossman did manage to throw back to second for the final out as Sunderlin was tagged advancing bases.
The Gremlins began clawing back in the bottom of the inning with a two-RBI single by Troutman into center field. However, those two runs would be the final ones on the afternoon for the home squad.
Curwensville went out front for good in the fifth inning when McCracken came home on a groundout by Graham, following a walk and single. The Tide would score one run each in the sixth and seventh from an RBI-single from Matt Brown and a passed ball in the final inning that brought Mullins to the plate.
Although it was Sunderlin that started the game for the Tide, it was McCracken earning the victory with three solid innings of work, giving up only three hits and three earned runs. Tyler Lee would get the save for the game, while Neff would get tagged with the loss.
Curwensville (3-2) is back home this Monday when they play host to the Clearfield Bison. First pitch is at 4:15 p.m.
SCORE BY INNING
Curwensville 102 611 1 – 12 14 0
Karns City 412 200 0 – 9 9 2
Curwensville – 12
Jake Mullins-SS 4200, Shane Haney-LF 0000, Spencer Hoover-C 5340, Keegan Wilson-1B 4233, Matt Brown-DH 5135, Shane Sunderlin-P 5011, Jake McCracken-CF 3220, Tyler Lee-2B 2010, Jayson Rowles-CR 0000, Chase Graham-RD 4001, Chris Fegert-LF 2101, Josh Shaffer-CR 0000, Danny McGarry-CR 0100. TOTALS 34 12 14 11.
Karns City – 9
Cole Sherwin-2B 4111, Braeden Rodgers-3B 4110, Mallick Metcafe-SS 3100, Zach Blair-CF 4220, Mike Neff-P 2212, Braeden Grossman-C 2001, Hunter Troutman-1B 3133, Jacob Callihan-LF 3110, Tyler Hutchison-RF 3000. TOTALS 28 9 9 7.
LOB: 8/11
E: Rodgers, Metcafe
ROE: Graham, Wilson
2B: Wilson-2/Troutman
SAC: Hutchison
SF: Grossman, Sherwin
FC: Brown, Hoover, Mullins/Metcafe, Callihan
HBP: Neff
SB: Brown, Hoover/Rodgers, Callihan
CS: Fegert/Metcafe
PIK: McCracken
Pitching
Curwensville: Sunderlin-2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 SO, 2 BB; McCracken-3 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 SO, 6 BB; Lee-2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 SO, 1 BB.
Karns City: Neff-4 IP, 10 H, 10 R, 3 ER, 1 SO, 3 BB; Fleming-3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 5 SO, 4 BB.
W-McCracken
L-Neff
S-Lee