Story by Rusty McCracken
BROCKWAY – After a bye on Monday’s start to the District 9 Class AA Softball Championships, top-seeded Curwensville recorded a walk-off victory over Johnsonburg Wednesday afternoon. The Lady Tide used a one-out single to post the 7-6 win in the bottom of the seventh inning.
The winning infield single off the bat of sophomore center fielder Ava Olosky plated Teagan Harzinski to end the game and start the celebration.
“Ava has been clutch for us all season,” said Tide Coach Allen Leigey. “She has been able to make good contact when we’ve needed it time and time again.”
Curwensville grabbed an early lead in the bottom of the first inning. After one out, a walk to Addison Warren and an error off the bat of Addison Siple put runners on the corners. Harzinski singled to center and a fielding error allowed the two runners to scamper home.
Johnsonburg answered back in the third with a pair of runs of their own. With two outs, pitcher Julia Jones doubled and Shelby Sorg belted a home-run over the left field fence.
Olosky opened the fourth inning for the Tide with a single that started another rally. She moved to second on an out at first. An infield single from designated player Jenna McCartney put two on. Sydney Simcox replaced Olosky at second and moved to third on a force play at second. Simcox was able to score on a wild pitch just before Siple drilled an inside-the-park home run to set the score at 6-2.
The fifth inning found the Rammettes applying the pressure once again. Johnsonburg scored two runs on two hits, a double by Natalie Dunworth and a single by Jones, and some help via a Tide error to push the score to 6-4.
The Rammette comeback was complete in the sixth inning with two additional runs, both scoring after two outs. The top of the sixth opened with a walk, and a long drive to the right-field fence allowed both runs to score as Maria Casillio earned her own inside-the-park homer.
In the seventh, good defense by the Tide left Sorg stranded at third after a one-out triple. That defense set the stage for the walk-off theatrics.
Harzinski drew a four-pitch walk to open the frame. The senior then moved to second on a swinging bunt by Shyanne Rudy. Natalie Wischuck moved Harzinski over on an infield single. Wischuck was left alone going into second trying to draw a throw on the first-pitch strike to Olosky. Olosky pulled the next pitch deep in the hole at second to bring Harzinski home with the winning run.
“Our bats came alive a bit later in the game,” said Leigey. “The key hits along with some great defensive plays were the difference in this game. I have to hand it to Johnsonburg. They played a great game and Jones is a good pitcher, I’m glad she’s a senior.”
The Lady Tide (13-7) will next move into the Class AA finals against Cranberry, an 11-0 winner in five innings over Moniteau on Wednesday. The title game will be played in DuBois at Heindl Field on Monday at 3 p.m. In a slight point of interest, Johnsonburg defeated Cranberry 10-8 late in the regular season.
Johnsonburg will now play Moniteau in a consolation game on Monday at a time and place to be determined. If both Curwensville and Johnsonburg should win in Monday’s games, the Rammettes and Cranberry would then play in a true second place contest to see who would move on to the state playoffs. That game, if necessary, would take place on Tuesday.
Score by Innings
R H E
Johnsonburg 002 022 0 6 7 3
Curwensville 200 400 1 7 11 3
JOHNSONBURG – 6
(SS) Natalie Dunworth 4 1 2 1, (P) Julia Jones 3 1 2 0, (CF) Shelby Sorg 4 1 2 2, (1B) Jenna Kasmierski 4 0 0 1, (C) Zoey Grunthaner 4 0 0 0, (LF) Marlee Cherry 2 1 0 0, (RF) Gionna Dellaquila 3 0 0 0, (2B) Jayden Gardner 3 0 0 0, (3B) Maria Casilio 3 2 1 2, TOTALS: AB 30, R 6, H 7, RBI 6.
CURWENSVILLE – 7
(C) Addison Butler 4 1 2 0, (RF) Addison Warren 2 2 0 0, (P) Addison Siple 4 1 1 3, (1B) Teagan Harzinski 2 1 1 1, (SS) Shyanne Rudy 4 0 2 0, (2B) Natalie Wischuck 4 0 1 0 (CF) Ava Olosky 4 0 2 1, (PR) Sydney 0 2 0 0, (3B) Ava Hainsey 3 0 1 0, (DP) Jenna McCartney 3 0 1 0, (LF/Flex) Kaylie Shaw 0 0 0 0, TOTALS: AB 30, R 7, H 11, RBI 5.
Pitching IP H R ER SO BB WP
Johnsonburg – L – Jones 6.1 11 7 6 6 4 4
Curwensville – W – Siple 7.0 7 6 4 10 2 1
Batting
HR – Johnsonburg: Casillio, Sorg; Curwensville: Siple. 3B – Johnsonburg: Sorg. 2B – Johnsonburg: Dunworth, Jones; Curwensville: Rudy. SB – Johnsonburg: Casillio, Jones; Curwensville: Wischuck, Simcox. E – Johnsonburg: Dunworth, Sorg; Curwensville: Harzinski, Siple, Hainsey. DP – Curwensville. LOB – Johnsonburg: 5; Curwensville: 6.
LADY TIDE SCOREBOARD:
Date Opponent Score Record
3/20 @ Brockway 21 – 0 1 – 0
3/23 @ Juniata Valley ppd. 1 – 0
3/28 @ Glendale 1 – 2 1 – 1
3/30 WILLIAMSBURG 7 – 0 2 – 1
4/04 BELLWOOD ANTIS 6 – 4 3 – 1
4/06 @ Penns Manor 9 – 1 4 – 1
4/11 @ West Branch 3 – 9 4 – 2
4/13 @ Mt. Union 3 – 5 4 – 3
4/17 @ Purchase Line 17 – 1 5 – 3
4/18 @ Mo Valley ppd. 5 – 3
4/20 JUNIATA VALLEY 1 – 2 5 – 4
4/25 GLENDALE 0 – 13 5 – 5
4/27 @ Williamsburg 11 – 0 6 – 5
4/28 PENNS MANOR ppd. 6 – 5
4/29 @ North Star ppd. 6 – 5
4/29 @ North Star ppd. 6 – 5
5/02 @ Bellwood Antis ppd. 6 – 5
5/04 WEST BRANCH ppd. 6 – 5
5/05 WEST BRANCH 0 – 1 6 – 6
5/06 @ Bellwood Antis 13 – 0 7 – 6
5/08 MO VALLEY 15 – 0 8 – 6
5/09 MT. UNION 0 – 2 8 – 7
5/11 PENNS MANOR 9 – 0 9 – 7
5/13 @ North Star ppd. 9 – 7
5/13 @ North Star ppd. 9 – 7
5/15 @ Juniata Valley 2 – 1 10 – 7
5/17 @ North Star 7 – 2 11 – 7
5/17 @ North Star 10 – 0 12 – 7
5/24 D9 Semifinals vs. Johnsonburg 7 – 6 13 – 7
5/29 D9 Championship vs. Cranberry