CURWENSVILLE – An old fashioned pitcher’s duel broke out in Curwensville on Thursday afternoon between a senior and a junior, which was then somewhat topped with a game ending play at the plate and a whole bunch of emotions for one young girl..
The senior pitcher was Harmony Lady Owl Tarra Hauser. The Curwensville Lady Tide pitcher was junior Clerissia Cole.
When the smoke settled, and before the rains came, it was Cole coming out on top 2-1 in the Moshannon Valley League (MVL) girls softball battle.
Hauser, however did her part, giving up just four hits, two runs, with just one run earned. The Lady Owl hurler did walk four Tide batters.
Cole gave up just one run, unearned, surrendered seven hits, walked just one and struck out three.
But the story of Cole goes beyond the field of play. An emotional story.
On Monday, Cole’s mother was life flighted with a heart attack. The youngster went to Lady Tide head coach Allen Leigey the other day and asked to pitch against Harmony. After a lot of heart wrenching and emotions Leigey said “yes.”
In Leigey’s own words the coach said afterwards, “We were pretty much vested with Clerissia pitching, who’s mom had a heart attack on Monday. She wanted to do this for her mom and she came through as a 16 year old showing an awful lot of courage, poise and determination. Just a gut wrenching story, and we send our prayers and thoughts to Clerissia’s mom and her family.”
Back to the game.
The game ended on a bang-bang play at the plate, which we’ll get to later, that earned the victory for the Lady Tide.
Curwensville scored its first run in the bottom of the second inning when right fielder Camryn Richards singled to left field to lead off the inning. In came pinch runner Kelsi Bumbarger who would later score on a two out RBI single to left field by first baseman Lauren Tozer.
The Lady Owls, now 3-6 on the 2017 season, scored its lone run in the top half of the third inning as third baseman Brooke Pearce lined a double off of the left field fence.
Harmony first baseman Mikayla Sherry followed with a single to left field that would score Pearce as the Lady Tide defense would commit an error on the play.
Only one more base runner would cross home plate and it was Curwensville freshman catcher Bailey Bloom with the game-winner in the bottom half of the third inning.
With one out in the third, Bloom singled to short left field and eventually made her way to third base on an error by the Lady Owl defense.
Richards picked up the game-winning RBI as the senior grounded into a 4-3 fielder’s choice, which allowed Bloom to touch home plate with what became the game winner.
The Tide did leave the bases loaded in the second inning and also stranded Anne Hoover at third base in the bottom of the fifth.
Harmony, which stranded six runners, rallied with two outs in the top half of the seventh inning, thanks to back-to- back singles by pinch hitters Katie Wagner and Micheala Brothers.
Mariah Moyer came into pinch run for Wagner and on the single by Brothers to left field the Lady Owl sophomore (Moyer) tried to make it from second base to home with the tying run.
Lady Tide left fielder Ariel Zattoni had other ideas though, as the sophomore outfielder threw a perfect one bounce hop to the plate where Bloom was waiting to apply the tag to end the game, which she did.
Leigey talked about the throw, saying, “Zattoni’s throw to the plate was absolutely huge for us to win the game in the top of the seventh. She had had a rough day up to that point, so that great throw was special for her and us.”
In closing, the Lady Tide mentor commented, “I just think the entire team bought into this for Clerissia and her mom, as I asked them to. I am so very proud of this team and their performance considering the circumstances.”
The Lady Tide evened its MVL record to 1-1, while Harmony dropped to 0-3 in league play.
Curwensville (5-6), will be at home once again on Friday afternoon, hosting the Lady Warriors of West Branch at 4:15 pm in another Moshannon Valley League game.
HARMONY – 1
Alexis Keith lf 3000, Micheala Brothers ph 1010, Sidney Rowles ss 2000, Brooklyn Boring 2b 3000, Tarra Hauser p3020, McKenzie Watson c 3000, Liz Rorabaugh cf 3000, Brooke Pearce 3b 3110, Mikayla Sherry 1b 3020, Angie Moyer rf 2000, Katie Wagner rf 1010, Mariah Moyer pr 0000, TOTALS – 27 1 7 0
CURWENSVILLE – 2
Hannah Dixon 3b 2000, Kayley Harnett ss 3000, Bailey Bloom c 3110, Camryn Richards rf 3011, Kelsi Bumbarger pr 0100, Chole Tubbs dp 2000, Ariel Zattoni lf 2010, Lauren Tozer 1b 2011, Keisha Maines 2b 1000, Anne Hoover cf 0000, Clerissia Cole flex/p 0000, TOTALS – 18 2 4 2
SCORE BY INNINGS R H E
HARMONY 001 000 0 1 7 1
CURWENSVILLE 011 000 X 2 4 3
ERRORS – Keith, Dixon, Zattoni 2. LOB – HARMONY – 6 CURWENSVILLE – 4. 2B – Pearce. SAC – Dixon, Tubbs. DP – CURWENSVILLE.
PITCHING
HARMONY
Hauser 6 IP, 4 H, 2R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 1 K
CURWENSVILLE
Cole 7 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
WP – Cole (3-3). LP – Hauser.
UMPIRES: John Hrubochak, Tony Kline
Lady Tide Scoreboard:
Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
3/27 | BROCKWAY | ppd. | 0 – 0 |
3/28 | BROCKWAY | ppd. | 0 – 0 |
3/29 | MO VALLEY | 1 – 8 | 0 – 1 |
3/30 | BROCKWAY | ppd. | 0 – 1 |
4/03 | @ Elk County Catholic | 0 – 4 | 0 – 2 |
4/05 | @ Johnsonburg | 0 – 4 | 0 – 3 |
4/07 | @ Clearfield | ppd. | 0 – 3 |
4/11 | SHEFFIELD | ppd. | 0 – 3 |
4/11 | SHEFFIELD | ppd. | 0 – 3 |
4/12 | SHEFFIELD | 9 – 2 | 1 – 3 |
4/12 | SHEFFIELD | 17 – 0 | 2 – 3 |
4/18 | @ Kane | 5 – 9 | 2 – 4 |
4/21 | DUBOIS CENTRAL CATH | 1 – 12 | 2 – 5 |
4/22 | @ North Star | 15 – 0 | 3 – 5 |
4/22 | @ North Star | 8 – 2 | 4 – 5 |
4/25 | @ Brockway | 5 – 6 | 4 – 6 |
4/27 | HARMONY | 2 – 1 | 5 – 6 |
4/28 | WEST BRANCH | ||
4/29 | @ Clearfield | ||
5/01 | @ Brookville | ||
5/02 | ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC | ||
5/08 | @ Glendale | ||
5/11 | KANE | ||
5/15 | JOHNSONBURG | ||
5/16 | BROCKWAY | ||
5/17 | @ DuBois Central Catholic |