DUBOIS — Playoff baseball is a time when at any time the season could end with one swing of the bat, whether it is a walk-off or a missed connection. But it is very rare when that season would come down to some familiar opponents. The Curwensville Golden Tide have experienced a season that has delivered many moments to remember. Thursday afternoon, more memories were possible as they made the trip to Showers Field in DuBois for their latest playoff contest. In the opposite dugout, a familiar foe, the Kane Wolves.
The two faced off twice in the regular season, splitting the series. The rubber match had more at stake, and in the end the Tide would see their 2021 season come to an end after falling 6-1 to the Wolves.
It was the Wolves that got the scoring going, although it came from a miscue on the part of the Tide. With Harley Morris on second, Justin Peterson connected on a hard grounder up the first baseline, which Keegan Wilson could not get a handle on. Morris roared his way around from second to put the Wolves up 1-0 after one inning of play.
It took a couple innings, but Curwensville answered back.
Tyler Lee and Spencer Hoover were on first and second, then Wilson got hold of a grounder that skipped up the gap between second and third. Lee worked his way to the plate, while Lee advanced to second. The game was then tied at one run each, and for the next inning and a half it became a pitching duel between Curwensville’s Shane Sunderlin and Kane’s Morris.
It wasn’t until the bottom of the fifth when the Wolves would get back on the board and retake the lead, permanently.
Jacob Costanzo got the inning started with a single into left field, then advanced to second during the next at-bat. Morris would help his own cause with a key RBI-double into right field to get things going. Andrew Jekielek would then have the biggest hit of the game, blasting into deep left field for an RBI-triple to give the Wolves a two-run lead. Carson Whiteman flew out in the next at-bat, but Jekielek tagged back at third and pushed himself 90 feet to get the third run of the inning, giving Kane a healthy 4-1 gap heading into the next inning.
Kane would add another two runs in the sixth inning courtesy of an RBI-double from Curtis Barner, then an RBI-single by Landon Darr, setting the final.
Morris finished all seven innings, striking out 10 and only walking two in earning the victory. Sunderlin would take the loss in five innings, giving up four runs and striking out three.
Curwensville finishes the 2021 season with a record of 12-9.
SCORE BY INNING
Curwensville 001 000 0 – 1 3 4
Kane 100 032 X – 6 7 0
Curwensville – 1
Spencer Hoover-C 3000, Thad Butler-3B 2000, Keegan Wilson-1B 2011, Jake McCracken-CF/P 3000, Jake Mullins-SS 2010, Matt Brown-DH 3000, Shane Sunderlin-P/3B 3000, Chase Graham-RF 3000, Tyler Lee-2B 3110. TOTALS 24 1 3 1.
Kane – 6
Harley Morris-P 4211, Andrew Jekielek-SS 3111, Carson Whiteman-CF 3001, Justin Peterson-3B 3000, Reese Novosel-1B 2110, Shane Ackley-2B 3010, Curtis Barner-LF 3111, Jacob Costanzo-RF 2110, Lucas Burrs-CR 0000, Landon Darr-PH 1011, Bobby Rumcik-C 3000. TOTALS 27 6 7 5.
LOB: 6/4
E: Mullins-3, Wilson
ROE: Peterson, Morris-2, Whiteman
2B: Mullins/Ackley, Morris, Barner
3B: Jekielek
HBP: Hoover, Wilson/Novosel
GIDP: Peterson
SB: Butler/Morris
CS: Morris
Pitching
Curwensville: Sunderlin-5 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 SO, 0 BB; McCracken-1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 SO, 0 BB.
Kane: Morris-7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 10 SO, 2 BB.
W-Morris
L-Sunderlin
