KC baseball demonstrates versatility
Not much hitting?
Not much of a problem for Karns City, which scrapped its way to a 6-1 District 9 Class 2A baseball playoff win over Curwensville on Tuesday at Pullman Park.
“You have to be able to win baseball games different ways,” Karns City coach Josh “Sluggo” Smith said. “This team has proven it can do that.”
The Gremlins (15-2) were limited to five hits on Tuesday. Three of their six runs scored on wild pitches. Tyler Kelly had an RBI single in the first inning, Jacob Jones a solo homer to left in third, Koen Wiliams run-scoring double to left in the second.
That was the extent of Karns City’s offense on this day.
“That team is 15-2 for a reason. You know they can hit the ball,” Curwensville coach Derek Dixon said. “Limiting them to five hits definitely gave us a shot. Our bats just got started too late.”
The Golden Tide (11-11) managed one hit in four innings against KC starting pitcher Jones. The junior right-hander struck out six, walked only one and threw 35 of his 49 pitches for strikes.
Smith pulled Jones from the mound after four innings, his team sporting a 5-0 lead at the time.
Because Jones threw fewer than 50 pitches, he is able to come back in Thursday’s district semifinal with a full 100-pitch count at his disposal.
“Coach told me before the game that was a possibility,” Jones said of being pulled from the game early. “He explained the pitch count situation and I was fine with it — whatever is best for the team.”
Smith said that he “had it in the back of my mind to do this if the situation benefited us. I felt safe doing it. Colton (Christie) came in and did his job.”
Jones did his job at the plate as well, his home run sailing over the left feld fence, traveling well over 360 feet.
“I knew I hit it well and the ball kept carrying,” Jones said. “I’ve never hit a ball out of this place before. That felt pretty good.”
Jones’ homer was his first of the season. He hit one home run last year as well, at Clarion-Limestone.
Christie, a sophomore left-hander, retired the side in order in the fifth inning. He ran into trouble in the sixth as the Golden Tide loaded the bases with one out. Hunter Tkacik’s infield single plated a run. With the bases loaded and two outs, Christie got Lincoln Hoyt to ground out to shortstop to end the uprising.
“That was our chance,” Dixon said of the sixth. “We needed to get more there. We had the guy at the plate we wanted ... It just didn’t work out.”
Christie retired the side in order in the seventh to end the game. The run he allowed in the sixth was the first run Christie’s allowed all season.
“Colton just comes in, works quickly and throws strikes,” Smith sad. “He’s done a great job for us all year.”
Karns City will play Moniteau in the semifinals on Thursday at Pullman Park.
Curwensville 000 001 0 — 1 4 1
Karns City 221 100 x — 6 5 1
WP: Jacob Jones 4IP (6so, 1bb). LP: Lawson Neiswender 1.1IP (0so, 1bb).
Curwensville (11-11): Cael Butler 1B, Logan Kunkle 2-1B, Hunter Tkacik 1B RBI.
Karns City (15-2): Hobie Bartoe 1B, Tyler Kelly 1B RBI, Jacob Jones HR, Troy Nagel 1B, Koen Williams 2B RBI.
Thursday: District 9 2A playoffs-Karns City vs. Moniteau/Coudersport winner, site and time TBA
