HOUTZDALE — The latter part of the season has not been kind to the Curwensville Golden Tide on the diamond as of late. Things looked extremely promising with a 5-0 start, but it has gone completely the opposite direction as the team has only won two of the last eight games. It did not get any easier on Tuesday afternoon, despite the gloomy look to the skies making it appear that a game would not happen. But it was not wet enough to keep things from happening, and Curwensville made the trip for their second contest against the Moshannon Valley Black Knights, hoping to sweep the season.
Just like the first game, this was close for a majority of the time. Unlike the first game, Curwensville struggled down the stretch, ultimately falling 8-5, their fourth-consecutive loss.
Early on, the Tide were finding rhythm and getting runs in. A sacrifice fly by Breck Finn and an RBI-double from Peyton Perks gave Curwensville a 2-0 lead in the first. Another RBI-double from Gavin McDermott and an RBI-single by Lawson Neiswender made it 4-0, and put a lot of confidence in the dugout heading into the bottom of the inning.
Neiswender got the start for Curwensville, and his confidence was high after a scoreless first inning and his team getting him four runs right off the start. That confidence evaporated as the Black Knights got right back into it.
Faced with bases loaded and one out, Brady Milhalko used his cleanup spot in the lineup to get a rally going. The ground ball went up to first base, but Dante Lezzer mishandled the ball. That error allowed both Gavin Lovell and Collin Dunlap to cross home, cutting the lead in half. An RBI-single from Brady Kephart then pulled Moshannon Valley to within one run.
When Rocco Reifer ground into a fielder’s choice, Milhalko crossed home, and in an instant, the game was knotted up at four runs each.
One inning later, Moshannon Valley would take the lead for good as Logan Clark blasted an RBI-triple to center field, giving the Black Knights the lead, and they never looked back. Ian Dunsmore scored on a wild pitch during the next at-bat before the inning ended.
Curwensville added one more run in the fourth to pull within reach, but the Black Knights would plate one run each in the fourth and fifth innings.
For Neiswender, the lead change was the moment his afternoon on the hill resulted him taking the loss. He pitched four innings, yielding seven hits, and seven runs, with only four of them earned. Moshannon Valley earned Kephart the win as he also pitched four innings, giving up the five runs, but struck out seven in the process.
Sitting at 7-7, Curwensville will hope to get back in the win column on Thursday afternoon as they head to Morrisdale to face the Warriors of West Branch.
SCORE BY INNING
Curwensville 220 100 0 – 5 7 4
Moshannon Valley 042 110 X – 8 8 2
Curwensville – 5
Cael Butler-2b 4230, Gavin McDermott-lf 3111, Lawson Neiswender-p 2011, Logan Dixon-cr 0100, Lincoln Hoyt-c 2000, Breck Finn-dh 3001, Peyton Perks-rf 4011, Trenton Best-ss 2000, Hunter Passmore-p 1000, Cayden Pierce-3b 3000, Kyler Nelen-cf 3110. TOTALS 27 5 7 4.
Moshannon Valley – 8
Brady Kephart-p/2b 4022, Mason Abernathy-ss 4130, Rocco Reifer-3b 3001, JC Smith-1b 3000, Valent Cervenak-rf 2001, Collin Dunlap-2b/p 2100, Gavin Lovell-dh 4210, Logan Clark-c 3121, Ian Dunsmore-cr 0200, Brady Milhalko-lf 4102. TOTALS 29 8 8 7.
2B: McDermott, Perks/Kephart
3B: Clark
HBP: McDermott
SF: Finn
SB: Butler-3/Cervenak, Reifer, Dunsmore, Abernathy
CS: Abernathy
E: Butler, Lezzer, Pierce, Best/Smith, Abernathy
Pitching
Curwensville: Neiswender-4 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 4 ER, 4 SO, 4 BB; Passmore-2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 SO, 3 BB.
Moshannon Valley: Kephart-4 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 7 SO, 3 BB; Dunlap-3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 SO, 1 BB.
W-Kephart
L-Neiswender (4-3)
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 Altoona Curve Invitational-PNG Field in Altoona | 3-13 | 7-5 |
| 4/24 vs. Williamsburg Altoona Curve Invitational-PNG Field in Altoona | 11-14 | 7-6 |
| 4/28 at Moshannon Valley | 5-8 | 7-7 |
| 4/30 at West Branch | ||
| 5/5 WILLIAMSBURG | ||
| 5/6 at Glendale | ||
| 5/7 at Harmony |
