BCIAA Baseball Quarterfinals

The Berks County baseball playoffs got underway on Thursday. Defending champion Gov. Mifflin defeated Kutztown 9-1 at Owls Field in West Lawn. The top-seeded Mustangs scored four times in the 5th to go in front 7-1. Travis Jenkins homered and knocked in three runs. Matt Koehler went 3-for-3 with 2 RBI. The (11-10) Cougars were limited to three hits. UConn commit Bryce Detwiler allowed one run in two innings. Ethan Grim gave up just one hit over 3.2 scoreless frames. Colin Diehl took the loss. The junior was charged with three runs on three hits and three walks in four innings. Ashton Dunn was 2-for-2. Gov. Mifflin improved to (16-3).

Fleetwood beat Muhlenberg 1-0 in the nightcap at Owls Field. Liam Hilburt and Kutztown University commit Cam Burr squared off in a pitchers’ duel. Hilburt fired a complete game two-hitter with four strikeouts. Burr held the fifth-seeded Tigers to one run on four hits over six innings. He struck out eight. Nate Seidel singled down the third base line in the 6th to drive in the game’s lone run. Both teams are (13-7). Fleetwood meets Gov. Mifflin on Saturday night at Owls Field.

Twin Valley outlasted Oley Valley 5-4 in nine innings. The (15-4) Raiders tied the game in the 7th on a wild pitch. They won it thanks to a bases loaded walk by Owen Rhoads. Sophomore Chase Kegerise issued six walks over three innings of relief. The southpaw allowed two runs on five hits. Paul Petersen started on the mound for the (11-8) Lynx. The All-County pick gave up three runs, two earned, in five innings. Oley Valley led 3-1 after four frames. Roman Cieless and Kooper Zdimal had three hits apiece for the second-seeded Raiders. Jon Oxendine was outstanding out of the bullpen. The Elizabethtown commit struck out eight over five innings. Oxendine permitted one unearned run on a pair of hits.

Wilson took down sixth-seeded Berks Catholic 7-2 in the second game at Muhlenberg. The (14-6) Bulldogs put up three runs in the opening frame. The (16-4) Saints committed eight errors and managed just four hits. Nick Fiorini went 3-for-3 with a couple of doubles and 2 RBI. Cooper Kennedy also knocked in two runs. He provided two hits. Christo Hunsicker tossed six solid innings. The 6’2 junior allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits. Trey Stricker suffered the loss. He gave up six runs, four earned, on eight hits. Stricker had six strikeouts in four innings. The third-seeded Bulldogs advanced to play Twin Valley on Saturday at Owls Field. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30pm.