DUBOIS — Still riding an incredible feeling after upsetting the top team in the Class 2A bracket, the Curwensville Golden Tide spent their Memorial Day back on the baseball diamond at Showers Field. The opportunity to win the District IX Championship for the first time since 1998 was on the horizon, but to do so they had to face off with the Redbank Valley Bulldogs for the second time this season. The Bulldogs got the upper hand in the first contest, but the Tide were ready to avenge the loss and take home gold on this day.
The game itself became a defensive battle, as both teams managed an equal amount of hits, and neither team recorded an error. Curwensville’s struggles came with not being able to plate runners when needed. Seven runners were on base, with over half in scoring position. But, the Tide could not bring any of them home, finishing on the wrong end of a 3-1 final to the Bulldogs that left them wondering what might have been.
After having such a strong outing days earlier against Moniteau, Lawson Neiswender got the nod a second time in a matter of four days for Curwensville. However, his start on Monday did not go the same way as a week earlier.
A walk and a pair of singles loaded the bases right away for the Bulldogs, and Jaxon Huffman would collect on the opportunity. Despite grounding out to short for the out, he moved all the runners on the play, bringing in Braylon Wagner for the opening run. Brock George then would sacrifice to center field, which brought Carson Gould home for the second run. Ian Neiswonger then singled to right for an RBI to make it 3-0 that let Breckin Minich to cross the plate.
Those three runs would be the lone ones for Redbank Valley, as their story was pitching and defense for the rest of the afternoon. Wagner started for the Bulldogs, and through the first three innings, he only let one runner on base. It wouldn’t be until the top of the fourth when Hunter Tkacik cashed in on an RBI-single to right field that plated Andrew Pentz and moved Neiswender to third.
But, for Curwensville, that one run would be it. With runners on second and third, Merek Sutika took a swing on a pitch just low in the box. In doing so, Tkacik was already in stride, stealing second.
Neiswender then gambled and decided to try and steal a run on the play. The downside for him, the throw to the plate was in time, and Minich made the tag to get the second out. Sutika then watched a 2-2 pitch sail right by him, getting the strike three call that left Tkacik on second, and leaving two potential runs off the tally.
It would be the same in the fifth, as with runners on second and third, Pentz would get fanned on a full count pitch by Wagner, stranding another pair of runs.
Wagner’s afternoon saw him hurl five innings, strike out seven, walk one, and give up five hits, giving him the win. Neiswender had a solid afternoon by his standards, giving up six hits and three earned runs, while striking out three and walking two, as he got dinged with the loss on the afternoon.. It was the struggles of Curwensville to get runners across the plate in scoring situations that kept them just out of reach.
In the sixth, Huffman took over pitching duties, and with two outs on the board, soon saw two runners back on base, as Tkacik got hit, and Sutika hit a hard grounder into right field to put runners on first and second. Lincoln Hoyt then came up, hitting an 0-1 pitch up the gap between first and second. However, Gould would grab the ball at second, tossing to Wagner, who moved from the bump to short, for the fielder’s choice and the third out.
Coming up to the final inning, Curwensville needed to find a way to get runners on. Cayden Pierce loaded the count, but watched the next pitch go right by for the called strike three. Kyler Nelen took a gamble on two pitches, fouling one off and catching nothing but air for another strikeout. Cael Butler was the last hope for the Tide, and he connected on the first pitch he saw. The ball sailed out to left field, and Neiswonger was waiting with an open glove, pulling in the lineout.
The catch gave Huffman the save on the afternoon, and the Tide would see their season come to a conclusion as District IX runners-up in Class 2A.
Curwensville finished the year with a final record of 10-10, with two games during the regular season canceled due to weather and inability to be rescheduled. Six seniors saw their tenure conclude on the diamond, as Pentz, Sutika, Tkacik, Hunter Barney, Caleb Bloom and Logan Kunkle are set to graduate at the end of the week.
SCORE BY INNING
Curwensville 000 100 0 – 1 6 0
Redbank Valley 300 000 X – 3 6 0
Curwensville – 1
Cael Butler-2b 4010, Andrew Pentz-rf/p 3110, Lawson Neiswender-p/1b 2010, Logan Kunkle-ss 3000, Hunter Tkacik-1b/rf 2011, Merek Sutika-cf 3010, Cayden Pierce-3b 2000, Kyler Nelen-lf 3000. TOTALS 25 1 6 1.
Redbank Valley – 3
Braylon Wagner-p/ss 3120, Carson Gould-2b 2100, Breckin Minich-c 3110, Jaxon Huffman-ss/p 3021, Ryan Hepler-cr 0000, Brock George-3b 1001, Isaac Neiswonger-lf 3011, Jordan Smith-rf 3000, Hayden Rearick-1b 3000, Drew Byers-cf 2000. TOTALS 23 3 6 3.
2B: Wagner
HBP: Tkacik
SF: George
SB: Tkacik/Wagner-2
CS: Neiswender
Pitching
- Curwensville: Neiswender-5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 SO, 2 BB; Pentz-1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 SO, 0 BB.
- Redbank Valley: Wagner-5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 7 SO, 1 BB; Huffman-2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 SO, 0 BB.
W-Wagner
L-Neiswender (6-4)
S-Huffman
Final 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 cancelled, 9 – 9
05/23: vs. Moniteau 19 – 2, 10 – 9
District IX Class 2A Semi-Final (in Dubois)
05/26: vs. Redbank Valley 1 – 3, 10 – 10
District IX Class 2A Championship (in Dubois)
