Lady Tide Batters Continue Hit Parade in 14-3 Win over Johnsonburg

JOHNSONBURG – For the second game in a row, the Curwensville Area High School softball team hit safely in all nine batting positions as they collected 17 hits in a 14-3 victory over Johnsonburg on Wednesday.  The Lady Tide slapped out 14 hits in the second game of a double-header against Kane on Monday and kept the hit parade going against the Ramettes.

Earlier this season Curwensville (9-4) held off Johnsonburg at home by a 7-6 score.

“We hit the ball top to bottom today. Tiff Carter and Sarah Wriglesworth really rocked the ball,” said Tide head coach Allen Leigey.  “It was  just the trickle down effect at the plate – one hit led to another then another right down the line-up.”

The hits began immediately for the visitors as Taylor Goodman opened the game with a single and ended up on third after a two-base error.  With one out, Carter singled home the first run of the game.

In the second inning, Sarah Wriglesworth slapped her first double of the game and pulled into third on an error on the play.  Wriglesworth scored an out later on a ground-out for a 2-0 lead.

The game was put away in the third inning as the Lady Tide sent 17 batters to the plate.  Goodman reached base on the Ramettes third error of the game to start the marathon inning.  Madi Peterman then hit the ball to short that allowed both runners to be safe, and Carter tripled to plate two runs. 

After the first out Cheyenne Pentz singled to start an 11-hit run.  Sarah and Katie Wriglesworth followed with a pair of doubles, Hannah Bressler and Abby Johnson both singled and Goodman tripled to make the score 10-0. Peterman, Carter, Molly Demchak, Pentz and Sarah Wriglesworth finished the rally with five straight singles for four runs and a 14-0 lead after two-and-a-half innings.  

Johnsonburg was kept in check for two innings despite loading the bases in the first.  Freshman pitcher Tierra Shope issued two free passes to help load the bases after two outs in the first.  However, a ground ball out ended the threat.  She set the hosts down one, two, three in the second, but the Ramettes broke onto the scoreboard in the third.

With one out Dani Dwyer walked and stole second.  Kiana Myers singled her home four pitches later.  Myers also stole second and moved to third on a pass ball before she scored on a ground out for a 14-2 mark.

“I told the girls not to ever think you have enough runs,” Leigey said.  “We had them down and I didn’t want to let them back up.  We had been in nearly every game we played this year, but a couple of times our gloves let us down.  We didn’t want that to happen and they continued to play well.”

Johnsonburg was allowed only nine hitters in the rest of the game, although they scored one run with the help of a throwing error.  Shope scattered three of five hits in the last two innings, but struck out four before the game ended because of the mercy rule after five innings.

“Tierra has given us everything we could ask for this season,” Leigey added.  “She has an ERA of just over three runs per game.  Thats pretty good for a freshman in any league.”

It doesn’t hurt either that her hitters have been doing their job and providing the run support.  Carter and Sarah Wriglesworth both ended the day 3-of-4 at the plate while Goodman, Peterman, Demchak and Pentz all added two hits apiece.  Carter drove in three runs while Goodman and Katie Wriglesworth added two RBI each.

The Lady Tide hopes that the bats remain hot as they travel to Brockway Thursday afternoon for a tough double-header.  The first game is set to start at 2:30. 

“I’m hoping that we can keep hitting the ball hard,” Leigey said.  “Brockway has a big field and if we can find the gaps, we can run a long way”

As a comparison score, Brockway also defeated Johnsonburg this season by a score of 18-13. 

CURWENSVILLE – 14

 Taylor Goodman 2b 4322, Madison Peterman lf  4221, Tiffany Carter c 4233, Molly Demchak 3b 4021, Melanie Milliron pr 0100, Cheyenne Pentz ss 4120, Sarah Wriglesworth cf 4231, Katie Wriglesworth 1b 3112, Hannah Bressler rf 3111, Abby Johnson dp 3110, Tierra Shope flex/p 0000, TOTALS –  33 AB 14 R 17 H 11 RBI.

JOHNSONBURG – 3

 Brittany Watts cf 3112,  Dani Dwyer c 2100, Kiana Myers 2b/p 2110, Justis Myers ss 3021, Taylor Harvey 1b 2000,  Paige Dececchis p/2b 2000, Kassa Kacjancic 3b 2010, Cassie Biondi lf 1000, Molotto ph 1000, Katie Galsick 3b 2000,   TOTALS: 20 AB 3 R 5 H 3 RBI.

SCORES BY INNINGS –  R H E

Curwensville – 11(12) 00x x – 14 17 2

Johnsonburg- 002 01x x -3 5 3

ERRORS –  Carter 2; Harvey, Biondi, Galsick.  LOB – Curwensville 5; Johnsonburg 5.  3B – Goodman, Carter.  2B – S. Wriglesworth 2, K. Wriglesworth. DP – none. SB –Dwyer, K. Myers 2.  SAC – none. HBP – none.  PB – Carter.  WP –Shope 2.

PITCHING 

Curwensville – Shope 5 IP 5 H 3 R 3 ER 2 BB 5 K 0 HB

Johnsonburg – Dececchis 3 IP 16 H 14 R 10 ER  0 BB 2 K 0 HB 

                              K. Myers 2 IP 1 H 0 R 0 ER 0 BB 0 K 0 HB             

W – Shope (9-4).  L – Dececchis.