Berks Sports Report Paul Roberts
Muhlenberg head coach Brian Kopetsky knew who he was giving the ball to for the District 3-6A championship game. “It was an easy decision for us,” said Kopetsky. The eleventh-seeded Muhls brought back Cole Moody on three days rest and their ace delivered another gem. The 6’3, 215-pound righty fired a three-hitter as Muhlenberg rolled over #5 seed Chambersburg 10-0 in six innings at Penn Medicine Park in Lancaster. “It’s electric when he’s on the mound. We know we’re gonna get a win,” replied senior Cooper Burr. Moody needed just 67 pitches to give the (17-8) Muhls their fourth District 3 crown. “His pitch count was so low. It was unbelievable. Thankfully, they went up there swinging early for a guy coming back on short rest. Early on, he wasn’t real sharp and then the breaking ball started kicking in,” explained Kopetsky. Moody improved to a perfect (10-0) this season with nine complete games. The Northampton Community College commit finished with six strikeouts and one walk as Muhlenberg earned its first District 3 title since 2008. “It feels amazing. This is what we’ve been working for the last four years,” emphasized Burr.
Moody and Chambersburg senior Ryne Mills both threw complete games in the semifinals on Thursday. Mills only allowed one hit in a 4-1 victory over top-seeded Hempfield. The St. Joseph’s commit is (9-0) this spring with a 1.37 ERA over 66.1 innings. The (17-7) Trojans went with Brady Truett on Monday night. The junior entered the day at (4-1) with a 0.62 ERA. Truett had 26 strikeouts and 14 walks in 34 innings. “I’m not gonna lie, No. 5 through No. 9 hitters, I gave everyone a take until they got a strike,” noted Kopetsky. That strategy worked as Truett walked four and lasted just 1.1 innings. The Muhls ended up with nine hits and eight walks. Burr, Moody, and shortstop Liam Vargas provided two hits apiece. Vargas walked twice and scored a pair of runs. Burr and Moody each drove in two runs. Mike Canfield went 1-for-2 with a walk and 2 RBI. The sophomore third baseman also made a tremendous defensive play. Gavin Moody, Cole’s twin brother, was 1-for-3 with a walk. He scored two runs and knocked in another.
Muhlenberg took control early with four runs on two hits and three walks in the top of the second inning. Sophomore John Martin hit a pop up to shallow right field with men on the corners. Second baseman Brycen Murray made the catch on the run as his momentum took him into foul territory. Vargas alertly scored the first run by tagging up from third base. After walks to Aidan Bonte and Carter Burr, leadoff hitter Cooper Burr ripped a 2-run single through the left side for a 3-0 edge. Senior lefty Hayden Lyons replaced Truett on the mound. Marvin Frias bunted the ball back to Lyons and Carter Burr slid head-first to avoid the tag by catcher Ceagan Truett. The home plate umpire never signaled safe which led to some confusion, but the Muhls had a 4-0 cushion. That was plenty of support for Moody. He’s limited opponents to 45 hits in 70 innings with 88 strikeouts this season.
Muhlenberg tacked on two runs in the fourth. Frias stole second after an infield single. He scored on a two-out single through the left side by Gavin Moody. Cole Moody then hammered a RBI double to right-center. Canfield made it 7-0 with a RBI groundout to second in the fifth. Junior southpaw Cam Wadel took over on the hill for the Trojans in the sixth. RBI singles by Cole Moody and Vargas put the Muhls on top 9-0. A sacrifice fly to right field by Canfield brought home their final run. Truett was charged with four runs on two hits and four walks. Lyons gave up three runs on four hits and three walks over 3.2 innings. Wadel allowed three runs on three hits and a walk in one frame.
Chambersburg has won a record eleven District 3 championships with the last coming in 2009. The Muhls’ first District 3 title was against the Trojans in 1980. Kopetsky was on Muhlenberg’s 1982 team which also brought District 3 gold back to Laureldale. He’s in his 27th season as the Muhls’ head coach. “It’s exciting. This is for everybody who has played in the program. These kids went out and they played for Muhlenberg baseball, and they play for each other. This means an awful lot to a lot of people,” said Kopetsky.
The Muhls have won ten of their past eleven games. The PIAA-6A tournament begins on Monday, June 1st. “There’s no limit to us now. We can keep extending the bar. I think we got a good shot in State’s,” remarked Burr.
