CURWENSVILLE — The first half of the season for Curwensville has seen a lot of success, a lot of runs, and a winning record. Being able to follow up the success of a stellar 2025 campaign has really rubbed off this year’s team. Unfortunately, the success has waned, as the Tide have dropped three of the last five games. Hoping to get off the slight skid, they welcomed in the Juniata Valley Hornets to town for the second game in the season series. Curwensville dropped the first game between the two, the team’s first loss on the season.
Tuesday’s game was not as high scoring, as the two sides were battling tight for the entire afternoon. The sides swapped the lead, and Curwensville managed to slightly out-hit the visitors. But it was not enough, as Curwensville ultimately fell, 4-3, as the Hornets swept the season series.
Neither team would get on the board through the initial three innings, either team making their way past second.
Curwensville gave Gavin McDermott the start on the afternoon, but with another two games slated for the week, keeping pitchers ready was a priority. After two innings, McDermott was relieved by Colby Proud. After walking Kyler Spurlin, he would walk to second, then a balk moved him to third. With runners on the corners, Robert Hess grounded into a fielder’s choice at second, but Spurlin managed to make it home to plate the first run.
The Tide wasted little time to get the run back. Kyler Nelen reached base after being hit, then stole second with Lawson Neiswender at the plate. Neiswender took a shot at a 2-2 offering and grounded to left field, and the RBI-single tied the game. Two batters later, Breck Finn would bring in Lincoln Hoyt on a grounder to center, and Curwensville suddenly had the one-run advantage.
Juniata Valley was not done, tying the game up one inning later when Elijah Johns hit an RBI-single to short, plating Blake Harbst.
One batter later, Spurlin got his own RBI on the stat line on a fly to center, putting the Hornets up 3-2. That would be the game-winning run, and two batters later the Hornets added an insurance run from Johns on a fielding error.
Despite another run in the bottom of the fifth, the Tide could not muster up any more offense when needed. Curwensville had the advantage in hits, 5-4, but the errors in the fifth made a major difference.
Ethan Scalia managed a superb outing on the hill for the visitors, getting the win in six innings, giving up the three runs while striking out six. Hoyt took the loss for Curwensville, pitching only one inning but giving up the three earned runs. Spurlin took over pitching in the seventh after Scalia tossed 85 pitches, and earned the save for Juniata Valley.
Back-to-back games will finish the week for Curwensville (7-4), but they will do so away from their home field in a big way. Once again, the Tide will be playing the in the Altoona Curve Invitational happening Thursday and Friday. Their first opponent will be Northern Bedford on Thursday afternoon.
It is an early pitch as the two squads will take the diamond at 12 p.m. inside People’s Natural Gas Field in Altoona.
SCORE BY INNING
Juniata Valley 000 130 0 – 4 4 0
Curwensville 000 210 0 – 3 5 2
Juniata Valley – 4
Ethan Scalia-p/ss 4110, Elijah Johns-2b 3111, Dmitri Boyd-2b 0000, Kyler Spurlin-ss/p 4111, Matt Dick-1b 2000, Ethan Wright-c 2000, Robert Hess-rf 3001, Logan Harpster-3b 3000, Blake Harbst-dh 1100, Nate Rodkey-cf 3010. TOTALS 25 4 4 3.
Curwensville – 3
Cael Butler-cf 3000, Kyler Nelen-lf 2100, Lawson Neiswender-dh 3021, Lincoln Hoyt-c/p 3100, Breck Finn-2b 3011, Gavin McDermott-p/rf/1b 3010, Colby Proud-p 1000, Peyton Perks-rf 2000, Trenton Best-ss 2000, Hunter Passmore-ph 1000, Cayden Pierce-3b 3110. TOTALS 26 3 5 2.
HBP: Dick/Nelen
SB: Scalia, Carolus/Pierce-2, Nelen, Hoyt
CS: Scalia, Spurlin
E; McDermott-2
Pitching
Juniata Valley: Scalia-6 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 6 SO, 1 BB; Spurlin-1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 SO, 0 BB.
Curwensville: McDermott-2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 SO, 1 BB; Proud-2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 SO, 2 BB; Hoyt-1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 SO, 1 BB; Neiswender-2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 SO, 0 BB.
W-Scalia
L-Hoyt (1-1)
S-Spurlin
Golden Tide Baseball Scoreboard
| DATE & OPPONENT | SCORE | RECORD |
| 3/16 HARMONY | PPD. | 0-0 |
| 3/21 vs. Clarion Limestone (In Dubois) | 10-0 | 1-0 |
| 3/24 MOSHANNON VALLEY | 7-6 | 2-0 |
| 3/27 JOHNSONBURG | PPD. | 2-0 |
| 3/28 HARMONY (1 p.m.) | 14-0 | 3-0 |
| 3/31 WEST BRANCH | 11-9 | 4-0 |
| 4/1 at Harmony | PPD. | 4-0 |
| 4/7 at Williamsburg | 11-5 | 5-0 |
| 4/9 at Juniata Valley | 3-14 | 5-1 |
| 4/11 at Claysburg-Kimmel (10 a.m.) | 1-16 | 5-2 |
| 4/14 GLENDALE | 17-1 | 6-2 |
| 4/15 SOUTHERN HUNTINGDON | 8-13 | 6-3 |
| 4/17 PURCHASE LINE | 11-0 | 7-3 |
| 4/21 JUNIATA VALLEY | 3-4 | 7-4 |
| 4/23 vs. Northern Bedford (12 p.m.) Altoona Curve Invitational-PNG Field in Altoona |
 |  |
| 4/24 TBD-Altoona Curve Invitational Altoona Curve Invitational-PNG Field in Altoona |
 |  |
| 4/28 at Moshannon Valley | Â | Â |
| 4/30 at West Branch | Â | Â |
| 5/2 REDBANK VALLEY | Â | Â |
| 5/5 WILLIAMSBURG | Â | Â |
| 5/6 at Glendale | Â | Â |
