Lady Tide Comeback Falls Just Short in 8-7 Loss to Juniata Valley

CURWENSVILLE – Despite 12 hits to their opponent’s five, the Lady Tide softball team fell in conference play to Juniata Valley on Tuesday, 8-7.

Five errors and a seven run top of the third for the Lady Hornets’ offense was a little too much for Curwensville to overcome despite three-hit games for Mackenzie Wall and Teagan Harzinski. Taylor Luzier also added a multiple hit game with two hits to her credit. Joslynne Freyer, Shyanne Rudy, Maddie Butler, and Rylee Wiggins also found their way into the hit column in the losing effort.

Despite trailing as much as 7-2, the Lady Tide did not give up as they scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut the lead to just one going into the seventh. However, it was not quite enough, as despite the Lady Hornets’ bats going cold after the fourth; they survived the late rallies from the home team to pick up the win.

Curwensville led after two full innings, as Harzinski and Rudy led off the second with back-to-back singles. Harzinski would reach third on a Juniata Valley fielding error and would be driven in on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Maddie Butler, which opened the scored at 1-0. After the second out of the inning, Rylee Wiggins walked to keep the inning alive, and Luzier came through with a single to right to make it a 2-0 game.

Juniata’s Stewart would help the Lady Hornets tie the game with one swing of the bat. Her two-run homer helped kick-start what would be a massive seven run inning for Juniata Valley. Errors were the story, and it was one bad inning that let this ball game get away from the Lady Tide.

Despite trailing 7-2 and losing the momentum, the Lady Tide regrouped and cut into the lead in the bottom of the third. Freyer reached on an error and her courtesy runner, Kylie Shaw, would score on the Mackenzie Wall RBI double to make it a 7-3 game.

Harzinski was up next and singled to put runners on the corners with no outs. Shyanne Rudy did her job on a sac-fly to bring home Wall to make it a three-run ballgame at 7-4.

Juniata Valley added their last run in the top of the fourth, but it was not the final push from the Lady Tide as the home squad plated three in the bottom of the sixth.

Freyer started the rally with one out as she singled to right. Shaw ran for Freyer once again, and she would advance to second on another hit from Wall to put two on with one out. After a passed ball that saw both runners move up 60 feet, Harzinski belted a double to center to score Shaw and Wall to make it an 8-6 game.

Harzinksi would move to third on a groundout and would score with two down on an error by Juniata Valley. It was now 8-7 with a runner on and two outs. Unfortunately, in the bottom of the sixth, the Lady Tide couldn’t push the game tying run across, but they still had three more outs to go.

After Freyer continued strong pitching in the top of the seventh, the Lady Tide would show some life in the final half-inning. Luzier reached on an error with one out and she advanced to second on a bunt by Addison Butler. With two outs and a runner in scoring position, Freyer walked to put two on and two away.

With the game tying and winning run on the base paths, Curwensville was one hit away from tying, or even winning the game. A solid hold by Stewart of the Lady Hornets helped the visitors to pick up the narrow 8-7 win.

The loss drops Curwensville to 4-2 on the season, but the team can rebound as soon as Thursday as they travel to Flinton to take on Glendale. The game is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m.

JUNIATA VALLEY – 8

T. Stewart (P) 3122, A. Allison (C) 4000, Madison Belinda (CF) 4000, Megan Belinda (CF) 2210, M. Houck (2B) 4110, M. Shuff (LF) 4100, M. Hartman (3B) 4111, Z. Walters (1B) 2100, C. Rowe (PH) 1000, K. Payne (RF) 3000, H. Thompson (PR) 0100. TOTALS 31 8 5 3.

Batting

2B: Megan Belinda
HR: T Stewart
TB: T Stewart 5, Megan Belinda 2, M Houck, M Hartman
RBI: T Stewart 2, M Hartman
ROE: M Houck 2, M Shuff, K Payne 2
GIDP: Madison Belinda
SB: M Hartman, Z Walters

Fielding

Madison Belinda, Z Walters 2, K Payne

CURWENSVILLE – 7

Taylor Luzier (CF) 5021, Addison Butler (C) 4000, Joslynne Freyer (P) 4010, Mackenzie Wall (3B) 5231, Teagan Harzinski (1B) 4232, Marlee Gasper (PR) 0000, Shyanne Rudy (2B) 3011, Maddie Butler (RF) 4011, Natalie Wischuck (SS) 4100, Rylee Wiggins (LF) 3010. TOTALS 36 7 12 6.

Batting

2B: Teagan Harzinski, MacKenzie Wall
TB: Maddison Butler, Joslynne Freyer, Teagan Harzinski 4, Taylor Luzier 2, Shyanne Rudy, MacKenzie Wall 4, Rylee Wiggins
RBI: Maddison Butler, Teagan Harzinski 2, Taylor Luzier, Shyanne Rudy, MacKenzie Wall
ROE: Maddison Butler, Joslynne Freyer, Taylor Luzier
FC: Maddison Butler 2, Joslynne Freyer, Natalie Wischuck 2
HBP: Addison Butler
SB: Taylor Luzier

Fielding

E: Maddison Butler, Teagan Harzinski, MacKenzie Wall, Rylee Wiggins 2

Score by Inning

Juniata Valley 0 0 7 1 0 0 0.
Curwensville 0 2 2 0 0 3 0.

Pitching

Curwensville

Joslynne Freyer

7 IP, 5 H, 8 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K.

Juniata Valley

T. Stewart 7 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K.

W – T. Stewart.  L – Joslynne Freyer (4-2).