WILLIAMSBURG — Putting up a season-high 20 runs in their last outing felt really good for the Curwensville Golden Tide, and they were eager to get back on the field and see if that effort would continue into the next game. After having to wait a day due to rain, the squad loaded up the bus and traveled out to Williamsburg for the second showdown on the year against the Blue Pirates.
Unlike the first outing between these two at the Altoona Curve Invitational, a 12-2 loss, the Tide kept the bats going and rolled past the Blue Pirates, 14-1, in a short five-inning affair.
Curwensville got on the board first, getting the bats going right off the bat as Cael Butler doubled to center to lead off. Andrew Pentz decided to do the exact same thing, on the same 1-1 count, bringing Butler across the plate for the opening run. Lawson Neiswender then got the memo to continue the trend, lining into left field for another RBI-double to give Curwensville a 2-0 lead.
Neiswender would get to start for the first time in a week for the Tide, and gave up the lone hit to the Blue Pirates in the bottom of the first. Preston Long would ground out to shortstop Logan Kunkle, which was enough to let Anthony Neri to make it to home to cut the lead to one run. That would be as close as Williamsburg got as Neiswender buckled down, pitching the entire game and giving up just four hits while striking out five.
In the top of the second, Curwensville’s scoring ability came right back from their previous game as they opened the scoring up in a big way.
A bases-loaded walk to Butler let Trenton Best come across home. Pentz then singled into left to allow both Cayden Pierce and Nelen to score for two RBIs, part of a three-RBI and three-run performance. Kunkle then blasted to left field on a full count for a two-RBI single to make it 7-1, and no outs were recorded. By this point, Long was moved to the mound, but he would not have any success. The toughest hit came with the bases loaded and Lincoln Hoyt in the box.
The 1-0 offering went deep into center field, and it brought home Merek Sutika, Cooper Haag, and Kunkle for a three run double to make it a 10-1 score.
Curwensville decided it was an early afternoon for all when the fifth inning came calling. Nelen singled, then both Butler and Pentz got hit to load the bases. At that point, Logan Brantner came to the hill in hopes to get things going.
Neiswender then helped his own cause with a deep double to center field, clearing the bases to hit the 10-run gap on a three-RBI blast.
Sutika added one more run on a grounder up the gap to plate Haag, setting the final, as Neiswender saw Hoyt hurl a ball to second base to catch Brantner on an attempted steal, then a fly out and strikeout concluded the afternoon.
Curwensville (7-9) will make up their slated game against Glendale on Wednesday, as the afternoon rain on Monday saturated the field and forced the schedule to be adjusted. The Tide will play host, with first pitch set for approximately 4:30 p.m.
SCORE BY INNING
Curwensville 280 04 – 14 12 0
Williamsburg 100 00 – 1 4 0
Curwensville – 14
Cael Butler-2b 2311, Trenton Best-cr/2b 0100, Andrew Pentz-rf 2323, Lawson Neiswender-p 3034, Logan Kunkle-ss 3112, Hunter Tkacik-1b 4000, Merek Sutika-cf 3111, Lincoln Hoyt-c 4023, Cooper Haag-cr 0200, Cayden Pierce-3b 2100, Dante Lezzer-3b 0000, Kyler Nelen-lf 2220. TOTALS 25 14 12 14.
Williamsburg – 1
Anthony Neri-cf 2100, Andrew Clark-3b/ss 3010, Jase McCall-1b 2010, Preston Long-ss/p 2001, Ethan Reffner-p/3b 2000, William Lower-2b 1000, Logan Brantner-lf/p 1000, Konner Harker-c 2010, Clayton McGregor-rf 1000, Sam Sparks-1b 1010. TOTALS 17 1 4 1.
2B: Pentz, Neiswender-2, Butler, Hoyt/McCall
HBP: Sutika, Pentz, Kunkle, Butler
SB: Haag, Nelen
CS: Pentz/Clark, Brantner
Pitching
- Curwensville: Neiswender-5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 SO, 3 BB.
- Williamsburg: Reffner-1 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 1 SO, 3 BB; Long-3 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 5 SO, 2 BB; Brantner-1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 SO, 0 BB.
W-Neiswender (4-3)
L-Reffner
Curwensville Golden Tide Scoreboard
03/17: HARMONY ppd. 0 – 0
03/18: at Mount Union 2 – 12, 0 – 1
03/19: HARMONY 12 – 2, 1 – 1
03/20: JUNIATA VALLEY 4 – 3, 2 – 1
03/25: at Moshannon Valley 8 – 9, 2 – 2
03/28: at Johnsonburg ppd. 2 – 2
03/29: at Johnsonburg 16 – 0, 3 – 2
03/31: REDBANK VALLEY ppd. 3 – 2
04/01: at West Branch 2 – 14, 3 – 3
04/04: REDBANK VALLEY 2 – 6, 3 – 4
04/08: WILLIAMSBURG ppd. 3 – 4
04/10: at Harmony ppd. 3 – 4
04/11: at Purchase Line ppd. 3 – 4
04/14: at Glendale 12 – 0, 4 – 4
04/16: at Claysburg-Kimmel 2 – 5, 4 – 5
04/21: at Marion Center ppd. 4 – 5
04/22: at Juniata Valley 6 – 8, 4 – 6
04/24: vs. Williamsburg 2 – 12, 4 – 7
Altoona Curve Invitational
04/25: vs. Mifflin County 0 – 13, 4 – 8
Altoona Curve Invitational
04/29: MOSHANNON VALLEY 5 – 2, 5 – 8
05/01: WEST BRANCH 9 – 18, 5 – 9
05/02: at Marion Center 20 – 9, 6 – 9
05/05: GLENDALE ppd. 6 – 9
05/06: at Williamsburg 14 – 1, 7 – 9
05/07: GLENDALE
05/12: WILLIAMSBURG
05/14: at Harmony
