Dylan Barrett-Gov. Mifflin

Being able to handle failure is a key for any successful baseball player. Gov. Mifflin designated hitter Dylan Barrett has the right mentality. “I was always taught if anything goes wrong, just move on. You can’t change the past,” he said. Barrett struck out with men on second and third base to end the top of the 1st inning. Two innings later, he responded in a big way with a two-run double to left-center that gave the Mustangs a 2-1 edge. They never trailed again in a 7-2 victory over District 4 champion Selinsgrove in the PIAA-5A semifinals. Bryce Detwiler held the (21-3) Seals to two runs on six hits over six innings. The UConn commit entered the game at Hershey with a (9-2) record and 1.58 ERA. “He’s always been that guy to go up and shove and do his job,” noted Barrett. Detwiler struck out eight, walked two, and hit three batters. The 6’2, 215-pound junior was able to get out of jams including the 5th inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Detwiler struck out Griffin Parker and Owen Santiago. Selinsgrove left eight men on base. The Seals were without senior shortstop Mason Richter. He led the team with a .455 average and 35 RBI. Gov. Mifflin was missing senior first baseman Dante Casantini due to a family vacation. Sophomore R.J. Weaver got the start and provided a two-out, opposite field RBI single to left in the third frame. That hit, one of ten for the (23-5) Mustangs, made it 3-1. Ethan Grim launched a two-out, RBI double to right-center that gave Gov. Mifflin a 4-2 advantage. Detwiler helped himself with a rocket off the wall in left-center that knocked in a pair of runs in the 5th inning. That double also came with two outs. Matt Koehler scored the Mustangs’ final run in the 7th after a throwing error at shortstop. Koehler, Detwiler, Grim, and Travis Jenkins had two hits apiece. Jenkins, an All-Berks catcher, threw out three runners. Grim fired a hitless 7th inning to close the door. Selinsgrove ace Josh Domaracki was charged with six runs, four earned, on nine hits in 5.1 innings. The senior southpaw had five strikeouts and two walks. The Seals committed four errors. Barrett is one of six juniors in Gov. Mifflin’s starting lineup. “We grew up playing together. We’ve always been on the same team so you have that chemistry with us,” he replied. The Mustangs advanced to the state championship game for the first time in program history. They will meet District 6 champ Hollidaysburg on Friday at 4:30pm at Penn State’s Medlar Field. “It feels amazing. We worked hard for this…to go play at Penn State is gonna be an honor,” said Barrett.