CURWENSVILLE — After yet another game for the Curwensville Golden Tide was halted due to things outside their control, it was a doubleheader slate on Monday afternoon. Last week, in the hopes of getting their game with the Brockway Rovers in prior to the incoming weather, the original dates for the home and road contests were switched due to field conditions. But, that game would get halted in the third inning as the rains hit.
Knowing the two teams were scheduled for another meeting days later, it was decided to finish the first game prior to Monday’s contest in Curwensville, giving fans from both schools a 2-for-1 special. For the Tide, this was a day to celebrate as they would pull off a sweep of the Rovers, winning game one in a 10-2 final, then game two, 8-2, evening their record on the season at 3-3.
Game one picked up right where it left off in the top of the third. Curwensville had just scored on a bases-loaded walk prior to the rains to take a 3-2 lead, with Gavin McDermott at the plate. The Tide first scored in the first inning with a two-run homer by Logan Kunkle, who got the start on the hill for Curwensville. McDermott would eventually walk to give Curwensville another run. Lawson Neiswender then followed with a two-run double into right field, giving the Tide a four-run cushion. Two batters later, Cael Butler’s ground out would plate McDermott and the Tide suddenly held a 7-2 lead.
For Brockway, the two runs they scored when the game was at their home field ultimately were the only two that they would score. Kunkle would have a strong day on the mound, especially given he had a few days to rest his arm. He would ultimately stay on the hill for the entire game to get his first win of the year, giving up just two runs while striking out five.
Brockway’s game would not be kind to them as they would go through three pitchers. Starter Andrew Brubaker would get dinged with the loss on the day, going just two innings while giving up six runs.
Curwensville added runs in the next two innings, first coming on an RBI-single by Merek Sutika in the fourth, then Kunkle came home in the fifth due to a fielding error. The Tide added one more run in the seventh on an RBI-single by McDermott to right field to set the final.
GAME 1-SCORE BY INNING
Curwensville 205 110 1 – 10 10 1
Brockway 020 000 0 – 2 7 1
Curwensville – 10
Logan Kunkle-p 4210, Lincoln Hoyt-c 1200, Dante Lezzer-c 0100, Andrew Pentz-2b 3222, Connor Luzier-2b 1000, Merek Sutika-rf 3111, Tristan Wills-rf 1000, Hunter Tkacik-dh 3101, Gavin McDermott-cf 4122, Lawson Neiswender-1b 3012, Kyler Nelen-lf 3000, Blaine Witherite-ph 1010, Cael Butler-ss 4021. TOTALS 31 10 10 9.
Brockway – 2
Jeremy Swanson-cf 4000, Gage Park-2b/rf 3010, Dylan Bash-1b 1000, Kyle Kennedy-2b 3010, Caleb Daugherty-lf/p 3000, Andrew Brubaker-p/3b 3110, Chad Young-2b/p 3111, Ben Yale-dh/1b 3010, Raiden Craft-c 3000, Matthew Brubaker-ss 3021. TOTALS 29 2 7 2.
- 2B: Kunkle, Neiswender/A. Brubaker
- HR: Pents
- SB: Kunkle
- E: Butler/M. Brubaker
PITCHING
- Curwensville: Kunkle-7 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 SO, 1 BB.
- Brockway: A. Brubaker-2 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 SO, 4 BB; Young-1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 SO, 1 BB; Daugherty-4 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 SO, 7 BB.
W-Kunkle (1-1)
L-A. Brubaker (0-1)
Both teams got a rest between the games in order to get refreshed, and have the pitchers get in some reps before taking the field once again. The first game restarted at 3:30 p.m. and the second game picked up at about 5:30.
The second game was another tight contest, but the Tide suddenly broke things loose late in the going to lock up win number two on the afternoon.
Neither team would get on the scoreboard until the bottom of the third. With runners on second and third, Lincoln Hoyt drove a 3-2 pitch into left field. The out was captured, but Butler tagged up and bolted home on the sacrifice fly to put Curwensville out front. The Rovers would answer right back in the top of the fourth inning when Chad Young blasted an RBI-double into center field to bring home Caleb Daugherty.
The tie game did not last, as the bottom of the fourth inning the Tide came right back into the game.
Two outs were on the board when Kyler Nelen was struck on a 2-0 pitch. With Merek Sutika moving to second, it set up runners in scoring position. Butler would do just that as he stroked a liner into right field for a two run RBI-double to put the Tide out front.
Brockway got one run back in the fifth without even swinging a bat. After a strike by starting pitcher Andrew Pentz, he would balk with a runner on third, giving an easy run to the Rovers. The 3-2 score would hold until the bottom of the sixth, which is when Curwensville put the game away for good.
A solid outing by Pentz in the top half of the inning would be enough for him to get a rest on the afternoon. He would go six innings, striking out seven, with no walks to get his second win on the season.
The bases got loaded real quick with a walk, a fielding error, and a single. Butler then had the second Tide sacrifice fly in the game to bring McDermott home. Two batters later, Hoyt hit a grounder up the middle to make it into center field, bringing Cooper Haag home to make it 5-2. A balk by Ben Yale made it 6-2, then a bases-loaded walk to Sutika allowed an easy walk home by Kunkle.
In what became a recurring theme, designated hitter turned first baseman Hunter Tkacik would hit a sacrifice fly that allowed Hoyt to score, which ultimately set the final.
Lawson Neiswender then came to the hill for the final inning, closing out the two-win afternoon with a pair of strikeouts and a fly out to center field, putting Curwensville at the .500 mark on the year.
Brockway’s Chad Young took the loss in game two in a five-inning performance, striking out six but giving up five runs, three of them earned.
Curwensville (3-3) has to quickly get their mind ready to go again as they will play host to Glendale on Tuesday afternoon. First-pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.
GAME 2-SCORE BY INNING
Brockway 000 110 0 – 2 2 2
Curwensville 001 205 X – 8 7 1
Brockway – 2
Jeremy Swanson-cf 2000, Gage Park-rf 3100, Kyle Kennedy-p/rf 0000, Matthew Brubaker-ss 3000, Andrew Brubaker-3b/rf 3000, Caleb Daugherty-lf 2100, Chad Young-p/3b 3011, Ben Yale-1b/p 2010, Raiden Craft-c 3000, Logan Faith-dh 3000. TOTALS 24 2 2 1.
Curwensville – 8
Logan Kunkle-ss/3b 2110, Lincoln Hoyt-c 3112, Andrew Pentz-p/2b 3000, Merek Sutika-rf 3021, Hunter Tkacik-dh/1b 3101, Gavin McDermott-cf 2200, Lawson Neiswender-1b/p 3000, Cooper Haag-ph 1100, Kyler Nelen-lf 2110, Cael Butler-2b/ss 2123. TOTALS 24 8 7 7.
- 2B: Young, Hale/Butler
- HBP: Swanson, Daugherty/Kunkle, Nelen
- BK: Yale/Pentz
- SF: Tkacik, Butler, Hoyt
- SB: Swanson-2, Park/Sutika
- E: M. Brubaker-2/Kunkle
PITCHING
- Brockway: Young-5 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 6 SO, 1 BB; Kennedy-0.1 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 SO, 1 BB; Yale-0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 SO, 3 BB.
- Curwensville: Pentz-6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 7 SO, 2 BB; Neiswender-1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 SO, 0 BB.
W-Pentz (2-1)
L-Young (0-1)
GOLDEN TIDE SCOREBOARD:
Date Opponent Score Record
3/18 BROCKWAY ppd. 0 – 0
3/21 @ Juniata Valley ppd. 0 – 0
3/25 MO VALLEY 0 – 10 0 – 1
3/26 @ Juniata Valley 9 – 9, susp. 0 – 1
3/28 @ Claysburg-Kimmel 1 – 5 0 – 2
4/02 BROCKWAY ppd. 0 – 2
4/04 WEST BRANCH ppd. 0 – 2
4/06 @ Union 0 – 13 0 – 3
4/09 @ Wiliamsburg 4 – 1 1 – 3
4/11 @ Brockway 3 – 2, susp. 1 – 3
4/13 @ Harmony ppd. 1 – 3
4/15 @ Brockway 10 – 2 2 – 3
4/15 BROCKWAY 8 – 2 3 – 3
4/16 GLENDALE
4/18 @ Tourney – TBD
4/19 @ Tourney – TBD
4/23 JUNIATA VALLEY
4/25 MT. UNION
4/26 HARMONY
4/27 WEST BRANCH
4/30 @ Mo Valley
5/02 @ West Branch
5/03 PURCHASE LINE
5/07 WILLIAMSBURG
5/08 @ Glendale
5/15 @ Harmony
