COMMODORE — With overcast skies, cooler temperatures, and even a bit of rain in the forecast, there was still baseball on the docket. The Curwensville Golden Tide loaded up the bus and made the trip for a non-conference contest on Monday, facing off with the Purchase Line Red Dragons.
The trip home came quick, and rather wet, but it came with joy because Curwensville got the bats going, taking down the Red Dragons, 16-6, in only five innings.
The Tide got things going in the opening inning, as an RBI-single by Ayden Sutika brought in Chris Fegert. The next two at-bats by Nik Fegert and Lawson Neiswender added in two more runs to have Curwensville start the game off strong. Purchase Line got on the board in the second half of the inning as an RBI-single by Andrew Smarsh got the Red Dragons on the board. A couple batters later, a fielding error from Chris Fegert pulled the home squad to within one. Both squads each scored a run in the second inning, but it was the top of the third when the Tide put the game away.
Aidan Finn hammered a liner to right field for an RBI-single to start the scoring. Two batters later, Chris Fegert managed to reach base on an error by third baseman John Edwards, bringing in Finn. Andrew Pentz kept the momentum going with an RBI-single into center field, making it 8-3. Sutika brought in another run two batters later, and Neiswender added another a short time after. The scoring ended with a bases-loaded walk to Nik Fegert, and what was a one-run game suddenly was 11-3.
That was just enough for Logan Kunkle to make sure the Red Dragons struggled to get on the board.
Kunkle went four innings, giving up just the three runs in the opening two innings, securing the victory for Curwensville.
Curwensville put another five runs across home plate in the next two innings, one via a sacrifice fly, and another trio of RBI-singles. The 16-3 score immediately put the potential for the 10-run rule into effect, putting a lot of pressure on the Red Dragons in the bottom of the inning. That pressure seemed to fuel a bit of a rally, because Purchase Line began getting to Ayden Sutika, who came in for relief in the bottom of the inning.
With the bases loaded, Jaylin Robertson grounded to a fielder’s choice, then the next at-bat saw Jace Misko hammer a two-RBI double into right field, pulling the Red Dragons to within one run of keeping the game going. But, Mike Zurenko would go down looking at strike three, ending the game.
Curwensville (4-6) will be back on their home ball field, weather and field conditions permitting, on Tuesday when they host a 4:30 p.m. game against Moshannon Valley.
SCORE BY INNING
Curwensville 317 14 – 16 12 2
Purchase Line 210 03 – 6 9 5
Curwensville – 16
Christian Fegert-cf 4323, Andrew Pentz-c 3232, Logan Kunkle-p/ss 4100, Ayden Sutika-3b/p 3322, Nik Fegert-lf 1201, Lawson Neiswender-1b 4133, Merek Sutika-rf 2212, Aidan Finn-dh/3b 4112, Cael Butler-2b 3100. TOTALS 28 16 12 15.
Purchase Line – 6
Austin Chambers-cf 2210, John Edwards-3b 3131, Andrew Smarsh-ss 3121, Coby Byers-1b 3020, Quentin Brooks-2b 3100, Jaylin Robertson-lf 2101, Zachary Wickens-p 2000, Jace Misko-ph/p 1012, Mike Zurenko-dh 3000, Daniel Boring-rf 2000. TOTALS 24 6 9 5.
- LOB: 8/5
- E: C. Fegert-2/Edwards, Boring, Wickens, Robertson-2
- ROE: C. Fegert-2, Kunkle
- 2B: Misko
- SF: C. Fegert
- FC: Brooks-2, Robertson
- SB: Butler-2, N. Fegert, C. Fegert-2, Pentz, M. Sutika-2, A. Sutika
- CS: N. Fegert
PITCHING
- Curwensville: Kunkle-4 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 4 SO, 2 BB; A. Sutika-1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 SO, 0 BB.
- Purchase Line: Wickens-3 IP, 8 H, 11 R, 4 ER, 2 SO, 3 BB; Misko-2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 SO, 2 BB.
W-Kunkle (2-1)
L-Wickens (0-2)
GOLDEN TIDE SCOREBOARD:
Date Opponent Score Record
3/20 @ Brockway 10 – 9 1 – 0
3/23 JUNIATA VALLEY ppd. 1 – 0
3/28 GLENDALE 2 – 12 1 – 1
3/30 @ Williamsburg 5 – 8 1 – 2
4/04 @ Bellwood Antis 8 – 6 2 – 2
4/06 HARMONY 5 – 7 2 – 3
4/06 HARMONY 4 – 7 2 – 4
4/11 WEST BRANCH 3 – 17 2 – 5
4/12 @ Cranberry 14 – 9 3 – 5
4/13 MT. UNION 1 – 15 3 – 6
4/17 @ Purchase Line 16 – 6 4 – 6
4/18 MO VALLEY
4/20 @ Juniata Valley
4/25 @ Glendale
4/27 WILLIAMSBURG
5/02 BELLWOOD ANTIS
5/04 @ West Branch
5/05 JUNIATA VALLEY
5/08 @ Mo Valley
5/09 @ Mt. Union
5/15 CLEARFIELD
