DUBOIS — The Curwensville softball team had its chances in Monday’s District 9 class A title game against defending champion DuBois Central Catholic, especially in extra innings.
But the Lady Tide stranded 11 runners on base — nine in scoring position with six of those coming after the eighth inning — in a 4-2 loss in 12 at Heindl Field.
The loss spoiled a stellar performance in the circle from Lady Tide junior Addison Siple, who was locked in an epic pitcher’s duel with DCC junior Rylee Kulbatsky, who has verbally committed to pitch at Division 1 Kent State.
Siple allowed four runs, just two earned, on five hits over her 12 innings of work. She walked two batters, hit one and struck out 16.
Kulbatsky scattered seven hits and walked five (three intentional) while fanning 21 Lady Tide batters.
“It was a heck of a game, a pitcher’s duel with two good pitchers going at it,” Curwensville head coach Jason Wos said. “We had girls on base. We just couldn’t execute and get the job done. It was a great game, but we left too many girls on base. We couldn’t get a bunt down, couldn’t hit a ball on the ground. But you gotta take your hat off to Rylee Kulbatsky too. She came up big when she needed to, and that’s the difference in the game.”
The first time Kulbatsky worked her magic was the bottom of the second inning after Ava Hainsey led off and reached third base with a single and two-base outfield error. But Kulbatksy left Hainsey stranded on third by getting a popout to short, a soft liner back to her and a ground out to third.
Kulbatksy worked her wizardry again in the fourth after Siple led off with a double and moved to third on a passed ball. This time, Kulbatsky struck out the side with Siple standing on third. The last three Ks were the beginning of six in row that ended with an immaculate fifth inning that saw her throw nine straight strikes to retire the side.
While Kulbatsky was containing the Lady Tide offense, Siple was carving up the Lady Cardinals as well.
She struck out five of the first six DCC batters she faced before a leadoff single from Virginia Myers started what ended up being a very interesting third inning.
After Myers’ base hit, Siple issued a walk to Ellie Gow before striking out Lizzy Green. Marina Hanes followed with a base hit through the infield, but the ball hit Myers in the base paths, which ruled her out. Siple then got Kulbatsky to fly out to centerfielder Ava Olosky on a low liner to end the threat.
DCC did get to Siple in the fourth, thanks to a leadoff triple off the bat of Lily Davidson and a one-out sacrifice fly from Maggie Mauthe. With two outs, DCC was able to get another run when a batted ball put in play by Lily Sachs was thrown around by the Lady Tide defense, which made two errors on the play, allowing the Lady Cardinal No. 6 hitter to motor all the way around the bases for a 2-0 lead.
Curwensville finally got to Kulbatsky in the sixth.
Addyson Neiswender led off with a base hit, but was erased from the base paths when Kylah Wos hit into a fielder’s choice.
Siple followed with her second double of the game to put runners on second and third with just one out.
Kulbatsky looked like she was going to get out of yet another jam after striking out Natalie Wischuck for the second out, but Hainsey had other ideas as she clubbed a double to knock in both Wos and Siple and tie the game at 2-2.
Both Curwensville and DCC went down quietly in the seventh with 1-2-3 innings to send the game to extras as Kulbatsky and Siple had eerily similar pitching lines through regulation.
Both aces threw 92 pitches through seven innings. Kulbatsky gave up five hits and struck out 12, while Siple allowed four hits and fanned 11.
Kulbatksy and Siple continued to dominate into extra innings as both offenses did little in the eighth and ninth to take the game to the 10th frame where the international tiebreaker came into play. (The international tie breaker is a rule where the team at the plate begins with a runner on second base).
DCC started the 10th with Mauthe on second. A Sachs sacrifice bunt moved Mauthe to third, but Siple got a shallow fly out to right field and a strikeout to keep Mauthe from scoring. Siple did even better in the 11th, sandwiching a pair of strikeouts around a pop out to short to keep Gow, who started the inning on second, from advancing at all.
Meanwhile, the Lady Tide had all kinds of baserunners on in the 10th and 11th, but could not find a way to end it.
Addison Warren began the 10th on second and took off to third when Briah Peoples laid down a bunt, which ended up being a base hit. Warren never stopped running, trying to score on the bunted ball, but she was thrown out at home on a close play at the plate.
“She went on her own there. That’s how we play. We play aggressive,” Wos said. “I thought she was under the tag. Maybe she was, maybe she wasn’t. But we play aggressive. We just have to execute. But we’ll be back. I promise that.”
Sylvia Witherite followed with a bunt single of her own, which moved Peoples to third. Witherite stole second with the infield up, but Kulbatsky recorded a strikeout and popout to get out of the jam.
Curwensville loaded the bases in the 11th.
Wos started on second and Siple was intentionally walked. After a double steal and a strikeout, Hainsey was also intentionally walked to load the bases for Olosky, who hit into a fielder’s choice with Wos being forced out at home. Kulbatsky’s 20th strikeout ended the inning with the sacks full of Lady Tide baserunners.
DCC broke the deadlock in the 12th with Kulbatsky scoring what turned out to be the game-winning run after starting the inning on second, moving to third on a Davidson single and racing home when the ball was misplayed in the outfield. Davidson also scored later in the inning on an infield error.
The Lady Tide had one last chance in the bottom of the 12th with Warren starting on second. She moved to third on a Peoples groundout, and Witherite followed with a walk to put runners on the corners with just one out.
But Kulbatsky had one more bit of magic left in her, and she recorded a strikeout and a groundout to end the game and give DCC its sixth consecutive District 9 title.
The Lady Cardinals improved to 11-10 and advanced to the first round of the PIAA playoffs.
Curwensville ends its season with a record of 14-7 and will say good bye to its three seniors Olosky, Wischuck and Addison Butler, who missed the last few games due to injury.
“Those three seniors are the foundation of our team,” Wos said. “They kept our energy up. We are really going to miss them. This is my first year with these girls on varsity, and I’d do anything to have them back for one more year.”
DuBois Central Catholic—4
Marina Hanes cf 5010, Rylee Kulbatsky p 5100, Lily Davidson 1b 5220, Kiki Foster 2b 5010, Maggie Mauthe 3b 4001, Lily Sachs ss 3100, Virginia Myers c 5010, Ellie Gow rf 4000, Lizzy Green lf 2000, Kylee Kulbatsky ph 1000. Totals: 39-4-5-1.
Curwensville—2
Kylah Wos 2b 6100, Addison Siple p 3120, Natalie Wischuck rf 5000, Ava Hainsey 3b 3022, Ava Olosky cf 5000, Addison Warren c 5000, Briah Peoples ss 5010, Sylvia Witherite 1b 4010, Addyson Neiwsender dp 5010, Brooke Brown (flex) lf 0000. Totals: 41-2-7-2.
Score by Innings
DuBois Central Catholic 000 200 000 002—4 5 1
Curwensville 000 002 000 000—2 7 5
Errors—Green; Hainsey 3, Witherite, Brown. DP—Curwensville 2. LOB—DuBois Central Catholic 7, Curwensville 11. 2B—Siple 2, Hainsey. 3B—Davidson. SAC—Sachs. SF—Mauthe. HBP—Sachs (by Siple). IBB—Siple 2; Hainsey. SB—Witherite, Wos, Siple. WP—Siple 2. PB—Myers.
Pitching
DuBois Central Catholic: Kulbatsky—12 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 21 SO.
Curwensville: Siple—12 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 16 SO.
WP—Kulbatsky. LP—Siple.
FINAL LADY TIDE SCOREBOARD:
Date Opponent Score Record
3/18 @ Brockway 9 – 1 1 – 0
3/20 @ Juniata Valley 4 – 12 1 – 1
3/22 vs. Brookville @ DuBois 11 – 8 2 – 1
3/25 MO VALLEY 10 – 0 3 – 1
3/27 CENTRAL CLARION 12 – 0 4 – 1
3/31 @ Redbank Valley 8 – 0 5 – 1
4/03 WEST BRANCH ppd. 5 – 1
4/04 WEST BRANCH 0 – 3 5 – 2
4/08 @ Williamsburg ppd. 5 – 2
4/09 ST. MARYS 2 – 9 5 – 3
4/11 PURCHASE LINE ppd. 5 – 3
4/14 CRANBERRY 4 – 14 5 – 4
4/16 GLENDALE ppd. 5 – 4
4/17 CLAYSBURG-KIMMEL 0 – 14 5 – 5
4/21 MT. UNION ppd. 5 – 5
4/22 JUNIATA VALLEY 6 – 4 6 – 5
4/28 @ Purchase Line 9 – 0 7 – 5
4/29 @ Mo Valley 15 – 0 8 – 5
4/30 @ Mt. Union 13 – 3 9 – 5
5/01 @ West Branch 1 – 9 9 – 6
5/05 @ Glendale ppd. 9 – 6
5/05 @ Glendale ppd. 9 – 6
5/06 WILLIAMSBURG 18 – 0 10 – 6
5/08 @ Glendale 1 – 0 11 – 6
5/08 @ Glendale 12 – 0 12 – 6
5/12 @ Williamsburg 19 – 0 13 – 6
5/23 D9 A Semis vs. Northern Potter 7 – 0 14 – 6
5/26 D9 A Finals vs. DCC 2 – 4 14 – 7
