Dalton Follweiler-Muhlenberg

Dalton Follweiler is proving that there’s much more to pitching than velocity. The senior right-hander shut down Exeter and Wilson in the span of eight days. Follweiler limited the Bulldogs to three hits over six innings in Muhlenberg’s 9-2 victory on Wednesday night. He relies on hitting his spots and letting the defense do the rest. Follweiler allowed two runs, one earned, while striking out four. He didn’t issue a walk until the 7th inning. Sophomore Aaden Lopez got the final three outs. He struck out Christo Hunsicker with the bases loaded to end it. The (4-2, 2-1) Muhls got to Wilson ace Matt VanOstenbridge early. The junior lefty entered with a 1.62 ERA. VanOstenbridge had 26 strikeouts and no walks over 17.1 innings. However, he walked leadoff hitter Cam Burr and then gave up an RBI double double to left field by Shane Rosenberry. The Muhlenberg catcher later scored on a passed ball. Follweiler really enjoys working with Rosenberry. “He brings so much energy to the team. He’s such a great teammate to have. I love the kid,” said Follweiler. The Muhls tacked on three more runs in the 3rd inning. The (5-3, 1-2) Bulldogs brought the infield in with the bases juiced. Sophomore shortstop Eli Keller ripped a two-run single past shortstop Nick Ruiz for a 4-1 edge. Derek Wilson followed with an RBI single to center and Muhlenberg was in front 5-1. VanOstenbridge, who has a half-dozen Division I offers, was replaced by freshman Ben Kulp after three frames. The southpaw was charged with five runs, four earned, on four hits and three walks. VanOstenbridge struck out three and hit a batter. The Muhls put it away with three runs in the 6th inning. Burr and Gio Cavanna provided RBI singles. That duo combined for five of Muhlenberg’s seven stolen bases. Rosenberry lofted a sacrifice fly to right field for a 9-1 advantage. Follweiler mentioned that team speed is a big plus for the Muhls this season. “It will tear teams apart. It will destroy them. It really, really helps us,” he emphasized. Burr, an all-county pick last year as a sophomore, was 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs. Cavanna went 2-for-3 with a double and two runs. Rosenberry knocked in a pair of runs as Muhlenberg extended its winning streak to four games. Follweiler was thrilled to pitch under the lights at Gochnauer Field. He replied, “It’s beautiful. We all love it, such a great time…with all the fans. It’s amazing.” Follweiler also talked about his favorite teacher, song, and former MLB pitcher. He tossed a complete game two-hitter at Exeter last week. Wilson had won its previous three contests. Christo Hunsicker had a single and sacrifice fly. The Bulldogs were missing cleanup hitter Ryan Sekulski and shortstop Trevor Bilodeau. Sekulski is hurt and Bilodeau is in Hershey for an event with Berks Career & Technology Center.