CURWENSVILLE-As the regular season draws closer to conclusion, and playoff hopes remain, the Curwensville Golden Tide took to their home field on Monday afternoon and honored six players who would walk onto the home diamond for the final time. Senior Day for the Tide meant also welcoming in an opponent they already saw twice this season, the Williamsburg Blue Pirates. Curwensville won the first game between the two at the Blue Pirates’ home field, then Williamsburg got that one back during the Altoona Curve Invitational. The rubber match looked to be one that could set the tone for the final stretch of the season.
For Curwensville, every senior that was on the roster got a chance to be on the field, as the team found a groove and stuck with it. Defensively, the Tide held the visitors to just two hits and exploded on offense to capture an 11-1 victory that went only five innings. Surprisingly, in all three games, Curwensville scored the exact same runs.
Things quickly went in favor of the Tide in the opening inning.
With one runner on, Lawson Neiswender helped get his eventual victory under way in a big way. With a full count, he blasted the ball the opposite direction into right field, nearly to the fence. The blast brought Gavin McDermott across the plate, while Neiswender ended up at third for a huge RBI-triple to get things going. One batter later, Breck Finn ground into right for an RBI-double to put the Tide up by two, and he would then score on an error after first making it to third on a passed ball. He would work towards home, making it on an error by Konner Harker.
That would be the lone lead change all afternoon, as Neiswender would deal in every inning. The Tide ace would remain on the hill for all innings, striking out eight and walking just two.
Curwensville put the game out of reach in the second inning, first on a two-RBI single by McDermott, then an RBI-double again by Neiswender. Finn continued the roll with a liner to right for another pair of runs.
Peyton Perks tripled to right to bring Finn home, and Lincoln Hoyt made it 10-0 on another RBI-single. If it wasn’t for an inning-ending double play, the score could have gone up more.
Williamsburg managed one run in the third, but the Tide were not done.
Knowing they could end the game early, Perks led off with a single to left, advancing to second on a passed ball during the next at-bat. Hoyt connected on a fly to left field to bring in Perks to put the gap back at 10 runs. Coach Derek Dixon then began putting in some of his seniors to give them a chance to get on the stat line in their final home game. Josh Legars struck out, while Hunter Passmore walked, while Cooper Haag popped out to second base.
Neiswender walked Anthony Neri to start the fifth, but a strikeout to Andrew Clark, a fly out from Josh McCall, and Ethan Reffner grounding out to first would seal the game and give the seniors a win they will cherish.
Weather depending, Curwensville (8-7) is on the road Wednesday afternoon against Glendale, whom the Tide already beat on April 14 in dominant fashion, 17-1. Should the weather not be in their favor, Curwensville will then face Harmony on Thursday.
SCORE BY INNING
Williamsburg 001 00 – 1 2 1
Curwensville 370 1X – 11 15 0
Williamsburg – 1
Anthony Neri-cf 1100, Andrew Clark-c 2000, Jase McCall-1b 2011, Ethan Reffner-2b 3000, Konner Harker-ss 2000, William Lower-p 2010, Braydon Brumbaugh-3b 1000, Clayton McGregor-lf 2000, Issac Somers-rf 1000, Alex Shock-rf 1000. TOTALS 17 1 2 1.
Curwensville – 11
Cael Butler-2b 3120, Hunter Passmore-2b 0000, Gavin McDermott-lf 2222, Cooper Haag-cf 1200, Lawson Neiswender-p 2022, Breck Finn-ss 3223, Trenton Best-ss 0000, Peyton Perks-rf 3221, Dean Swatsworth-rf 0000, Lincoln Hoyt-c 3022, Kyler Nelen-cf 2020, Logan Dixon-lf 0000, Dante Lezzer-1b 3110, Colby Proud-1b 0000, Cayden Pierce-3b 2100, Josh LeGars-ph 1000, Bryce Barnes-3b 0000. TOTALS 25 11 15 10.
2B: Neiswender, McDermott, Hoyt, Finn
3B: Neiswnder, Perks
HBP: McCall, Clark
SB: Lower, Neri, Brumbaugh
CS: Butler
E: Harker
Pitching
Williamsburg: Lower-1.1 IP, 11 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 2 SO, 2 BB; Harker-2.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 SO, 2 BB.
Curwensville: Neiswender-5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 8 SO, 2 BB.
W-Neiswender (5-3)
L-Lower
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 | PPD. | 7-7 |
| 5/5 WILLIAMSBURG | 11-1 | 8-7 |
| 5/6 at Glendale | ||
| 5/7 at Harmony | ||
| 5/11 at West Branch |
