CURWENSVILLE — The late push to the playoffs has begun and the Curwensville Golden Tide have found themselves in a run of good luck. Winning four of the last five games, they were looking to keep that motivation into the last week of the regular season. Their last time on their home field for 2025 came on Monday, where the Williamsburg Blue Pirates were ready for the rubber match between the two schools. Both prior games would go to the mercy rule, each winning a game in the process.
Monday’s game would go the full distance, but it still saw Curwensville get an early lead, holding on for a 4-1 win to take the series from Williamsburg on the year.
The Tide would get on the board the easy way to start the scoring. After being shut out through the first two innings, Cayden Pierce got struck on a full count pitch, followed by both Kyler Nelen and Andrew Pentz each taking a walk to base. With runners on all bags, Lawson Neiswender saw four of five pitches go outside the box, and the easy walk to first let Nelen touch home for the 1-0 lead. One batter later, while Logan Kunkle was at bat, catcher Damian Williams mishandled an outside pitch that got out of his glove. Cael Butler, who reached a few batters earlier on a fielder’s choice, hustled home for the second run.
It was enough for Neiswender, who not only got the start, but ultimately would pitch the entire distance for Curwensville. Hurling a total of 95 pitches, striking out eight batters and giving up no walks.
The lone run Neiswender gave up to the Blue Pirates came in the fifth, an RBI-double by Konner Harker that let Ethan Reffner score.
Williamsburg did not have a bad pitching day, giving up only four hits on the afternoon. Starter Preston Long took the loss in a three-inning effort, giving up two runs, four strikeouts and four walks.
Curwensville added a pair of runs in the sixth for added insurance, as Nelen lined a ball into right field, plating both Cooper Haag and Merek Sutika for a two-RBI single that set the final, giving Curwensville its fourth consecutive win and fifth in the last six games.
With one game remaining on the year, Curwensville (9-9) has a chance to secure a winning season as they will hit the road on Wednesday afternoon to take on the Harmony Owls. The Tide took the first game between the two, a 12-2 contest that went only five innings.
SCORE BY INNING
Williamsburg 000 010 0 – 1 3 1
Curwensville 002 002 X – 4 4 1
Williamsburg – 1
Anthony Neri-cf 3010, Andrew Clark-ss 3000, Jase McCall-1b 3000, Preston Long-p 3000, Ethan Reffner-rf/p 3110, William Lower-2b 2000, Logan Brantner-lf 2000, Konner Harker-3b/p 1011, Clayton McGregor-rf 0000, Damian Williams-c 2000. TOTALS 22 1 3 1.
Curwensville – 4
Cael Butler-2b 3100, Andrew Pentz-rf 3000, Lawson Neiswender-p 2011, Trenton Best-cr 0100, Logan Kunkle-ss 3010, Hunter Tkacik-1b 3000, Merek Sutika-cf 3110, Lincoln Hoyt-c 2000, Cooper Haag-cr 0100, Cayden Pierce-3b 0000, Kyler Nelen-lf 2112. TOTALS 21 4 4 3.
2B: Neri, Harker
HBP: Harker/Pierce
SB: Butler
CS: Harker
E: Williams/Kunkle
Pitching
- Williamsburg: Long-3 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 SO, 4 BB; Harker-2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 SO, 1 BB; Reffner-1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 SO, 1 BB.
- Curwensville: Neiswender-7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 8 SO, 0 BB.
W-Neiswender (5-3)
L-Long
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 cancelled 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 7 – 3, 8 – 9
05/12: WILLIAMSBURG 4 – 1, 9 – 9
05/14: at Harmony
