Lady Tide Win 3-2 Thriller Over Rival Clearfield

CURWENSVILLE----On a “let’s play two” beautiful day, one game was just as thrilling, as the Curwensville’s Lady Tide softball team edged out visiting Clearfield 3-2. Both teams were coming off Friday wins but their was no ill effect on the energy level of both squads. The Saturday afternoon win keeps the Lady Tide perfect at 6-0 while the defeat has Clearfield even at 2-2.

Clearfield starter Mandy Rowles went through the Tide line-up the first time around like the old buzz saw. Nine up, nine down. Then disaster struck on defense in the bottom of the fourth as the Lady Bisons committed three errors on the first four hitters to allow Curwensville to do all their scoring. The three unearned runs would be all the Tide would need and saddle Rowles with a four hit loss. Holly Lansberry started it off by reaching second on a dropped fly in the outfield. Dani Struble then reached on an infield mistake which scored Lansberry with the games first run. After Dana Johnson flew out to right bringing home Struble, Ashley Demchak got aboard on another infield error. Shannon McDonald then got on base on a ruled infield single as her grounder to second hit Demchak, who was ruled out. Kristi Newpher then delivered the game winning hit with a shot to deep right for a double which scored McDonald with what proved to be the game winning run.

Lansberry, who upped her record to 6-0 with 10 K‘s on the day, only allowed three hits, but two of the three left the ballpark . Fortunately for Lansberry and the Tide both home runs were with no one on base. Senior Nikki Collins blasted a two out, three-two pitch over the left field fence to get Clearfield on the board in the top half of the fifth. Lansberry then settled down until the top of the seventh when lead off batter Alyssa Anderson hit one off the top of the center field fence which promptly bounced up and over for her round tripper. The next two hitters went down swinging and the Tide were one out away from a big win over their rivals. An infield error allowed Kenzie McGovern to keep Clearfield’s hopes alive. McGovern then took second on a wild pitch by Lansberry with Collins at the plate. Once McGovern took second and the count 2-0 the Lady Tide unintentionally/intentionally walked Collins putting runners on first and second. Ashley Lias smacked the first pitch, but right at center fielder Tess Bloom who made the catch and putting the Lady Bisons away for the inning, the day and the win.

Both pitchers got out of earlier jams as Lansberry put away Clearfield in the second inning with two outs with runners on first and third, picking up a strike out to end that threat. Then in the third the Lady Bisons had runners on second and third with two outs when Mandy Rowles hit a screaming line drive right at center fielder Bloom who was well positioned to make the catch and end the inning.

Curwensville had Rowles in trouble only one other inning and that was in the bottom half of the fifth. The Tide had the bases loaded with two outs when Collins gobbled up a hard hit grounder by Demchak and throwing on to first to put the Tide away.

A very happy Allen Leigey, Curwensville head coach said after the game, “I was very pleased that we didn’t fold our tent when Clearfield threatened. As a team we told them not to worry about errors and things, just play the game. Let the chips falls were they may and see what unfolds. I am so proud of how we stayed poised and focused throughout the contest.”

The Lady Tide are back in action on Monday playing at Brockway with a 4:15 pm start time.

CLEARFIELD - 2 ----Nikki Collins ss 3111, Ashley Lias cf 4000, Brittany Pataky 1b 3000, Mandy Rowles p 3000, Alanna Luzier 2b 3000, Alysaa Anderson rf/lf /rf 3121, Megan Butler 3b 2000, Julie Colesar lf/rf 2000, Sara Kovalick lf 1000 and Kenzie McGovern c 2000.

CURWENSVILLE - 3 ----Holly Lansberry p 3110, Dani Struble ss 3100, Dana Johnson c 2001, Ashley Demchak 3b 3000, Shannon McDonald rf 3110, Kristi Newpher 2b 2011, Samantha Haney 2000, Morgan Peterman pr 0000, Stacey Johnson dp 3000, Tess Bloom cf 2010 and Ronna Knepp flex-3b 0000.

SCORE BY INNINGS 
CLEARFIELD        000 010 1 2 3 3
CURWENSVILLE 000 300 X 3 4 3

LOB-Clearfield-6 and Curwensville-5. DP-None. 2B-Clearfield-Anderson and Curwensville-Newpher. 3B-None. HR-Clearfield-Collins, Anderson. SB-Curwensville-McDonald. SAC-None.

WP-Lansberry PB-D. Johnson. HBP-Haney and D. Johnson (By Rowles).

PITCHING
CURWENSVILLE - Lansberry 7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 10 K.
CLEARFIELD - Rowles 6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 HB, 5 K.

WP-Lansberry (6-0) LP-Rowles (1-2)

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