FLINTON – Going into Tuesday’s game the undefeated Curwensville softball team knew it would have to turn in the best outing of the season to remain flawless. That is just what the Lady Tide did to best Glendale 5-4 on the road.
Curwensville slapped out nine hits against a quality pitcher in junior Madison Peterson who took the Lady Vikings deep into the PIAA playoffs in the last two seasons. Six Golden Tide hitters were able to pick up some timely hits while Peterson struck out nine and walked two in the loss.
Sophomore pitcher Addison Siple proved to be a bit better in this showdown giving up six hits, striking out eight, and surrendering two free passes. Siple has come alive at the plate of late as she added three hits to her average against the Vikings. Sophomore Ava Hainsey added two hits including a double in the victory.
“Our bats have been hot lately,” said Tide Coach Allen Leigey. “We’ve been getting hits from everyone up and down the line-up in the last two games. It’s nice to get into the flow of the season for a change.”
Glendale jumped out to a 2-0 lead with runs in each of the first two innings. Doubles off the bats of Alyson Buterbaugh and Jayden Fry accounted for the early scores.
In the third inning with two outs, the Curwensville bats started to produce. Addison Warren started the merry-go-round with a single to right, Siple followed with a drive to center, and Hainsey singled to right to push Warren home while Siple took third. After Hainsey moved to second, Ava Olosky doubled to center to give the Tide a lead they would not relinquish.
The lead moved to 4-2 in the fifth inning with Addison Butler causing some headaches for the home team. A lead off single put Butler at first and she moved to second as Warren drew a walk. Siple followed by grounding out to third, but the speedy Butler didn’t hesitate to score on the play.
However, the Vikings were not about to go quietly. In the bottom of the sixth, Peterson led off with a triple to right field. After one of the walks from Siple, Peterson was brought home via the sacrifice bunt from Jaylee Beck. Siple retired the next two batters on a strikeout and pop out to second to preserve the lead at 4-3.
In the top of the seventh inning Siple drove a double to left to set the table for the winning score. Hainsey battled Peterson in a seven-pitch at bat that included a wild pitch that placed Siple at third. On the seventh pitch, Hainsey doubled to center to set the score at 5-3.
“Ava battled hard in the seventh,” Leigey said. “It was certainly her best plate appearance of the season, and it turned out huge in the outcome tonight.”
Hainsey’s RBI did prove to be important as the Vikings added a run in the seventh. Elizabeth Kauffman picked up her second hit of the game to lead off the final frame. After the first out, Fry hit safely again to put runners at the corners. A groundout to second put the score at 5-4 with a runner at second and Peterson coming to the plate. However, a grounder to second baseman Briah Peoples ended the game and preserved the Tide’s perfect season to date.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game,” Leigey said of what turned into win number 295 of his coaching career. “They are a good team, and we knew it would take winning a lot of battles to win the war.”
Curwensville will get little time to enjoy their spoils as next on the schedule is Claysburg-Kimmel, a team many people are picking to be standing on the podium of the Class A State Championship this season. The Tide travel to meet the Bulldogs on Thursday afternoon.
Score by Innings R H E
Curwensville 003 010 1 – 5 9 1
Glendale 110 001 1 – 4 6 1
CURWENSVILLE – 5
C Addison Butler 4110, RF Addison Warren 3110, P Addison Siple 4231, 1B Ava Hainsey 4122, PR Aleia Bloom 0000, CF Ava Olosky 4012, SS Natalie Wischuck 3010, 2B Briah Peoples 3000, LF Sydney Simcox 3000, LF Bella Wood 0000, 3B Sylvia Witherite 2000, PH Jenna McCartney 1000, TOTALS: AB 31, R 5, H 9, RBI 5.
GLENDALE – 4
SS Jayden Fry 4021, C Caitlyn Rydbom 3001, P Madison Peterson 4210, 3B Alyson Buterbugh 2010, PR Makenna Wilkinson, 2B Jaylee Beck 2001, LF Alexis McNitt 3000, Macy Snyder 3000, CF Elizabeth Kauffman 3220, RF Ava Weld 3000, TOTALS: AB 27, R 4, H 6, RBI 3.
Pitching IP H R ER SO BB WP
Curwensville – W – Siple 7 6 4 3 8 2 0
Glendale – L – Peterson 7 9 5 5 9 2 2
Batting
3B – Glendale: Peterson 2B – Curwensville: Olosky, Siple Hainsey; Glendale: Fry Buterbaugh; Curwensville:Wischuck, Peoples. SB – Curwensville: Hainsey; Glendale: Kauffman. E – Curwensville: Witherite; Glendale: Peterson.
MARCH Score W-L
25 @Moshannon Valley 9-0 1-0
26 Juniata Valley 7-6 2-0
APRIL
9 Williamsburg 5-0 3-0
15 Purchase Line 11-1 4-0
16 @Glendale 5-4 5-0
18 @Claysburg-Kimmel 4:30
20 Glendale 11:00
22 @Juniata Valley 4:30
23 Brockway 4:30
25 @Mount Union 4:30
27 North Star (DH) 11:00
29 @Purchase Line 4:00
30 Moshannon Valley 4:30
MAY
2 West Branch 4:30
6 @ Union/All-Clarion 4:00
7 @Williamsburg 4:30
13 @West Branch 4:30