Story by Rusty McCracken
DUBOIS – The Curwensville softball team fell in the District 9 AA Championship 7-6 to Cranberry on Monday at Heindl Field in a back and forth struggle between two hard playing teams. The Lady Tide will now have to play in a true second place game against Moniteau on Tuesday to determine which team will also represent the district in the state playoffs.
In the title game, the Lady Tide grabbed the early lead in the bottom of the first inning. A one-out walk to Addison Warren got things started, and Addison Siple’s single put runners at first and second. Teagan Harzinski followed with an RBI single to left for a 1-0 score. Curwensville went on to load the bases on a walk to Shyanne Rudy but couldn’t move the runners to take advantage.
“We left too many on base in the game,” said Tide coach Allen Leigey. “We just didn’t get the big hit to get the extra runs. I have to give Cranberry credit, they found the hits they needed to get the win.”
The lead held up until the third when the Berries used three hits, a walk, and a hit batter to score a 3-1 advantage.
In the fourth inning, the Lady Tide regrouped to put some offense on the board. Designated player Jenna McCartney started the inning with a single through the right side. After one out Warren and Siple singled to plate McCartney. Back-to-back doubles by Harzinski and Rudy brought in three additional runs for a 5-3 lead.
However, in the top of the fifth inning, Cranberry battled back. Cranberry pitcher Reyna Watson opened with a bunt single. Kendall Findlay singled to right to allow Watson to hustle home. Keelie Schneider was hit by a pitch, and Cassis Scarborough drove a two-run single to center for a 6-5 cranberry lead.
The Berries added an insurance run in the seventh inning which turned out to be the difference in the game. Schneider drove a triple to right field to open the frame. Scarborough then singled to right for the 7-5 margin.
Curwensville refused to go quietly, however, as Ava Olosky beat out an infield single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Ava Hainsey then drove an offering to the wall in left that brought pinch-runner Sydney Simcox in to score and placed Hainsey at second. Unfortunately, that final big hit for the Tide didn’t materialize, and the game ended at 7-6.
“I blame myself for not being more aggressive earlier in the game,” said Leigey. “We had opportunities to shake things up, but I was playing safe to see what materialized. This one is on me, and I’ll take the blame.”
Curwensville now has more work to do to punch their ticket into the PIAA Class AA Playoffs. The Tide will travel back to Brockway Tuesday to take on Moniteau at 3 p.m.
Cranberry defeated Moniteau 11-0 in five innings last Thursday. However, Moniteau bounced back to defeat Johnsonburg on Monday 7-4.
Score by Innings
R H E
Cranberry 003 030 1 7 10 2
Curwensville 100 400 1 6 10 2
CRANBERRY – 7
(P) Reyna Watson 4 2 3 0, (CF) Kendall Findlay 3 2 2 1, (SS) Keelie Schneider 2 2 1 1, (3B) Cassis Scarborough 4 0 2 3, (2B) Rylee Coe 4 0 1 0, (C) Denali Wenner 4 0 0 0, (PR) Taylor Felix 0 0 0 0, (1B) Makayla Smith 3 0 0 0, (PH) Kaitlynn Beggs 1 0 0 0, (RF) Jayden Shumaker 4 0 0 0, (LF) Lexi Reisinger 3 1 1 0, TOTALS: AB 32, R 7, H 10, RBI 5.
CURWENSVILLE – 6
(C) Addison Butler 4 0 1 0, (RF) Addison Warren 3 2 1 0, (P) Addison Siple 4 0 2 1, (1B) Teagan Harzinski 3 1 2 3, (SS) Shyanne Rudy 3 0 1 1, (2B) Natalie Wischuck 4 0 0 0, (CF) Ava Olosky 4 0 1 0, (PR) Sydney Simcox 0 2 0 0, (3B) Ava Hainsey 4 0 1 1, (PR) Alaina Reitz 0 0 0 0, (DP) Jenna McCartney 4 1 1 0, (LF/Flex) Kaylie Shaw 0 0 0 0, TOTALS: AB 33, R 6, H 10, RBI 6.
Pitching IP H R ER SO BB WP
Cranberry – W – Watson 7 10 6 6 6 3 0
Curwensville – L – Siple 7 10 7 5 13 1 4
Batting
3B – Cranberry: Schneider. 2B – Curwensville: Harzinski, Rudy, Hainsey. E – Cranberry: Scarborough, Coe; Curwensville – Rudy 2. HBP – Cranberry: Schneider 2. LOB – Cranberry: 8; Curwensville: 9.
2023 Schedule final overall ICC
March score record record
20 W @ Brockway 21-0 1-0
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 W @ Purchase Line 17-1 5-3
20 L JUNIATA VALLEY 2-1 5-4 2-4
25 L GLENDALE 13-0 5-5 2-5
27 W @Williamsburg 11-0 6-5 3-5
May
5 L WEST BRANCH 1-0 6-6 3-6
6 W @ Bellwood-Antis 13-0 7-6 4-6
8 W MOSHANNON VALLEY 15-0 8-6 5-6
9 L MOUNT UNION 2-0 8-7 5-7
11 W PENNS MANOR 9-0 9-7
15 W @ Juniata Valley 2-1 10-7 6-7
16 W @ North Star 7-2 11-7
16 W @ North Star 10-0 12-7
25 W Johnsonburg 7-6 13-7 D9 Class AA Semifinal
29 L Cranberry 7-6 13-8 D9 Class AA Final 30 Moniteau D9 Class