Story by Rusty McCracken
MOUNT UNION – Curwensville Head Softball Coach Allen Leigey admittingly expected the current week’s schedule to provide some tough competition for his team. Unfortunately, despite a strong finish at Mount Union on Thursday, the Lady Tide finished the week 0-2. The Trojans were able to hold off a late Tide rally for a 5-3 victory.
Curwensville outhit the Trojans 7-5 with Addison Siple, Teagan Harzinski and Addison Warren all collecting two singles. Kendra Gardner was the only Mount Union player to earn multiple hits. Trojan pitcher Ke’Andra Wible picked up the win scattering those seven hits while striking out 10 and walking four. Siple was handed the loss while giving up five hits and walking four as well. This was the first game of the freshman’s career that she was limited to single-digit strikeouts with seven.
Curwensville scored quickly in the first inning. Harzinski’s first hit was sandwiched between an error and a walk after two outs. Natalie Wischuck scampered home on a Wible wild pitch for the 1-0 start. Unfortunately, the Lady Tide was held scoreless until the seventh inning.
Mount Union grabbed the lead for good in the second inning as the visitors paid back the favor. Chelsea Williams had the only hit in the inning for the hosts, but two untimely errors and a wild pitch put the score at 2-1.
The Trojans added a run in the third after Maddie Dimoff lead off with a walk. One out later, Dimoff was on the move quickly and scored on a Kendra Gardner hit to center. Perhaps, the most costly inning for Curwensville was in the fifth. With two outs, back-to-back hits to left and a walk loaded the bases. An error off the bat of Wible allowed two runs to score for the 5-1 lead.
The young Tide squad wasn’t quite ready to just walk off as Siple opened the top of the seventh with a single. Wischuck reached on an error and Harzinski singled home Siple. After one out, Warren drove in Wischuck for the 5-3 final tally. Curwensville’s Ava Olosky did walk to load the bases, but a line out back to the pitcher and a ground out to first ended the contest.
“We didn’t go down easy,” said Leigey. “We played them tough to the last out, and that’s all we can expect. That will win you a lot of games.”
Curwensville falls to 4-3 on the season while the Trojans hold a 4-4 record on the season.
The Lady Tide will travel to Purchase Line for a non-league contest on Monday starting at 4:00 and will head to Moshannon Valley on Tuesday for a 4:30 start.
Score by Innings
R H E
Curwensville 100 000 2 3 7 3
Mount Union 021 020x 5 5 4
CURWENSVILLE – 3
(C) Addison Butler 4 0 1 0, (P) Addison Siple 3 1 2 0, (SS) Natalie Wischuck 4 2 0 0 , (1B) Teagan Harzinski 4 0 2 1, (2B) Shyanne Rudy 3 0 0 0, (RF) Addison Warren 4 0 2 1, (CF) Ava Olosky 3 0 0 0, (3B) Ava Hainsey 3 0 0 0, (DP) Jenna McCartney 2 0 0 0, (DP) Sydney Simcox 2 0 0 0, (LF/Flex) Kaylie Shaw 0 0 0 0, TOTALS: AB 32, R 3, H 7, RBI 2.
MOUNT UNION – 5
(C) Patyn Crisswell 3 0 1 0, (2B) Kendra Gardner 3 1 2 1, (SS) Reagan Yocum 1 0 0 0, (P) Ke’Andra Wible 3 1 0 0, (3B) Chelsea Williams 3 1 1 0, (CF) Sophie Smith 3 0 0 0, (LF) Abbey Brodbeck 2 0 0 0, (RF) Callie Trego 3 0 1 0, (1B) Maddie Dimoff 2 1 0 0, TOTALS: AB 23, R 5, H 5, RBI 1.
Pitching IP H R ER SO BB WP
Curwensville – L – Siple 6 5 5 1 7 4 1
Mount Union – W – Wible 7 7 3 1 10 4 2
Batting
SB – Mount Union: Williams, Gardner 2, Wible E – Curwensville: Rudy, Hainsey, Harzinski; Mount Union: Williams, Wible 3.
2023 Schedule final overall ICC
March score record record
20 W @ Brockway 21-0 1-0
23 PPD. @ Juniata Valley
28 L @GLENDALE 2-1 1-1 0-1
30 W WILLIAMSBURG 7-0 2-1 1-1
April
4 W BELLWOOD-ANTIS 6-4 3-1 2-1
6 W @ Penns Manor 9-1 4-1
11 L @ West Branch 9-3 4-2 2-2
13 L @ Mount Union 5-3 4-3 2-3
17 @ Purchase Line 4:00
18 @ Moshannon Valley
20 JUNIATA VALLEY
25 GLENDALE
27 @Williamsburg
28 PENNS MANOR
29 @ North Star 11:00 (DH)
May
2 @ Bellwood-Antis
4 WEST BRANCH
8 MOSHANNON VALLEY
9 MOUNT UNION
All game-times 4:30 unless otherwise noted