Curwensville lost all six games since Monday of this week but none was more disappointing than the result of this particular contest.
Ridgway was a team that the Tide handled just a week ago, 9-2. But not this time.
Junior Boone McGary did his part in keeping the Tide in the game as he went all seven innings scattering just three hits in the hard to swallow defeat.
McGary’s performance wasn’t lost on Tide head coach Denny Johns, “I was really pleased with Boone (McGary) and the effort he put forth today. He did a fantastic job. He did what we needed him to do this afternoon because with all the games this week our pitching staff was really stretched.”
The Elkers picked up the first run of the game in the bottom half of the first inning on a solo home run from Josh Mitchell, with the Tide coming back in the top half of the fourth to knot the game at 1-1 after four were complete.
In the Curwensville fourth with one out Tanner Elensky singled to left field, and then on a hit and run, Jordan Russell, a freshman like Elensky, also singled to left which moved Elensky to third and Russell to second on the throw.
Catcher Kyle Bloom drove in the tying run for the Tide moments later with a deep sacrifice fly to right field.
The Elkers did break through with two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a two run lead into the top of the seventh, 3-1.
A solo home run to lead off the seventh for Curwensville by Bloom would make the score close but the Tide were out of offense as they slipped to 4-10 on the season.
About the offense Johns commented, “We had six hits, but a bunch of our outs were hard hits that were right at someone.”
Johns then closed saying, “I don’t have the words anymore to describe what we have gone through of late. But I will say that I am very proud of the effort this team puts into each and every game.”
Curwensville is off until Monday when they travel to play Moshannon Valley at 4:30 pm. The Black Knights shutout the Golden Tide earlier this month, 11-0.
CURWENSVILLE – 2
Jesse Zorger 1b 4020, Hunter McCracken 2b 4010, Jesse Hoover ss 4000, Boone McGary p 2000, Kyle Johns cr 0000, Shae Best cf 1000, Tanner Elensky 3b 3110, Jordan Russell lf 3010, Kyle Bloom c 1112, Alec Starr cr 0000, Brad Coudriet rf 3000, TOTALS – 25 2 6 2.
RIDGWAY – 3
Jesse Reynolds ss 2010, Kevin Kilhoffer 3b/lf 2100, Aaron Sorge ph 0000, Josh Mitchell lf/p 1211, Jesse Gardner p/3b 3000, Ben Jacques cf 3012, Slade Horner 2b 2000, Lou Stillwell 1b 3000, Derek Mattiuz c 2000, Alex Dickant rf 2000, TOTALS – 20 3 3 3.
SCORE BY INNINGS R H E
CURWENSVILLE 000 100 0 2 6 0
RIDGWAY 100 002 X 3 3 0
ERRORS- None. LOB – CURWENSVILLE – 7, RIDGWAY – 4. HR – Mitchell (solo, 1st), K. Bloom (solo, 7th). SB – McCracken, Best, Zorger, Reynolds, Kilhoffer. SAC – K. Bloom. HBP – Reynolds and Kilhoffer (by McGary).
PITCHING
CURWENSVILLE
McGary 6 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 2 HB
RIDGWAY
Gardner 4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
Mitchell 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
WP – Mitchell LP – McGary
