CURWENSVILLE—-Just erase the first two innings and the Curwensville baseball team would be moving on in the District 9 Class A playoffs. It, however, doesn’t work that way as the Golden Tide’s amazing comeback came up short Tuesday afternoon 12-11 against visiting Coudersport in the first round of the playoffs.
The Tide were actually down 11-0 after four innings before they started to put the heat on the Falcons. Curwensville put three on the board in the fifth and then four each in the sixth and seventh. They even had the tying run at third in the bottom of the seventh with two outs when Curwensville catcher Cory Bloom hit a soft liner back to the pitcher to end the game.
Coudersport scored 10 runs the first two innings, seven coming in the second, against Tide starter Ben McGary and relief pitcher Justin Johnston. The first four hitters for the Falcons scored a total of 7 runs in those two innings before Johnston and Erik Martell only allowed two more runs from then on. Meanwhile the Tide offense didn’t even get it’s first hit until freshman Sam Gardner picked up a one out single in the bottom of the fourth. Then in the Tide’s fifth, down 11-0, their first three hitters, Ben McGary, Justin McGary and Brett McCracken all cracked singles. With one out Joe Bloom hit a single driving in Ben McGary with the first run for Curwensville. Sam Gardner picked up two RBI’s with his second straight hit to give the home team 3 for the inning.
In the Tide’s half of the sixth they picked up four more as Jesse Hoover and Brandon Hess started it all with back to back doubles followed by Ben and Justin McGary singles. With two outs Joe Bloom hit a single and suddenly the Tide closed the gap to 12-7. Erik Martell, in relief of Johnston, set the Falcons down in the top of the seventh keeping Curwensville’s hopes alive and well. Right fielder Hess made the defensive play of the year for the Golden Tide, streaking to his right and diving, stretched out, to snag a shot by Coudersport’s Derek Burdick for the first out of the seventh.
Then up came the Tide in the bottom of the seventh. Gardner led off with a single followed by a Hoover walk and then four singles by Ben McGary, McCracken, Trevor Horton and Joe Bloom. All that netted the Tide four more runs and suddenly it was 12-11. Wes McGarry, who pinch ran for Horton, made it to third with two outs when, as mentioned Cory Bloom hit one back to the pitcher on a soft liner to end the incredible comeback bid that fell just short.
Kirk Duffee had three hits to pace the Falcons while teammates Derek Burdick, Adam Dow and Ben Reynolds had two each. Ben McGary, Joe Bloom and Sam Gardner had three hits apiece for the Tide. Justin McGary chipped in with two. Joe Bloom drove in three runs.
The Tide left ten men on base to seven for the Falcons. Curwensville also out hit Coudersport 15-13. The loss ends the Golden Tide’s first season under head coach Ryan Briskar at 13 -8.
COUDERSPORT 12 Eric Babcock cf 5111, Derek Burdick lf 5221, Kurt Duffee 3b-p 4330, Isaac Cary rf 4211, Zach Buckler c 4111, Jordan Barnett cr 0000, Adam Dow 1b 4122, Bret Metzger p-3b 4100, Ben Reynolds 2b 2022, Brian Wetzel ss 0000, Brett Whitman dh-p 2111.
CURWENSVILLE 11 Ben McGary p-1b 3331, Justin McGary 2b 4222, Brett McCracken 3b 4211, Trevor Horton dh 5011, Wes McGarry pr 0000, Mark Dell’Antonio 1b 0000, Justin Johnston p 0000, Erik Martell p 0000, Joe Bloom lf 5033, Cory Bloom c 3000, Nate McGary ph 1000, Sam Gardner cf 4132, Jesse Hoover ss 3210, Brandon Hess rf 4111.
SCORE BY INNINGS R H E
COUDERSPORT 371 001 0 12 13 3
CURWENSVILLE 000 034 4 11 15 4
ERRORS-J. McGary, J. Bloom, Hess, Martell; Reynolds 2, Wetzel. LOB-Curwensville 10; Coudersport 7. DP-Coudersport. 2B-Hoover, Hess. 3B-Babcock. SAC-Cary, Reynolds; J. McGary.
SB-Dow, Whitman 3; B. McGary. HBP-C. Bloom (by Metzger); Cary (by B. McGary).
PITCHING
COUDERSPORT Metzger 5+ IP, 9 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 1 HB, 7 K.
Whitman 1 2/3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 0 HB, 2 K.
Duffee 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 HB, 0 K
CURWENSVILLE B. McGary 1 1/3 IP, 8H, 8 R, 6 ER, 0 BB I HB, 1 K.
J. Johnston 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 0 HB, 4 K.
Martell 2 2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 HB, O K.
WP-Metzger LP-B. McGary