Ethan Grim-Gov. Mifflin

Gov. Mifflin put its undefeated record on the line Thursday night against Fleetwood. The Tigers sent junior Jake Karnish to the mound. He entered the game with a sparkling 1.29 ERA. The right-hander had 20 strikeouts in 16.1 innings. Karnish is an All-County basketball player for Fleetwood. He averaged 17 points this season. The Mustangs gave the ball to Ethan Grim and the freshman stole the show in a 4-0 victory. Grim tossed a complete game with ten strikeouts and just two walks. A fourth inning single by sophomore Aiden Soumas was the only hit for the (3-6, 0-3) Tigers. It was the second start for Grim and his fourth appearance. The young righty struck out the first five batters that he faced. Grim told me that he’s really happy with his curveball, but his changeup is a work in progress. He was painting the outside corner with his fastball. Grim gave credit to head coach Chris Hole for providing detailed scouting reports of their opponents. Hole is in his tenth season as the manager with a mark of (147-87). He’s guided Gov. Mifflin to three Berks League championships and four appearances in the state playoffs. I asked Grim what it was like pitching at Owls Field in West Lawn. He replied, “It’s amazing, like a dream come true.” The Mustangs got on the scoreboard in the second inning thanks to a 2-out, RBI single to center by Mike Marmolejos. The outfielder, who was 2-for-3, is one of just three seniors on the Gov. Mifflin roster. Designated hitter Xander Velez crushed an RBI triple to left-center field in the third. Junior catcher Darien Troche followed with a sacrifice fly to right for a 3-0 advantage. Karnish was taken out after 4.2 innings. He allowed four runs on seven hits and three walks. Freshman Tyler Dilbeck replaced Karnish and was promptly greeted by an RBI single to left by Bryce Detwiler. That line drive gave the (12-0, 6-0) Mustangs a four run cushion which was plenty for Grim. He said the players don’t talk about being unbeaten. They know there’s more work to be done and the competition is tough in Berks County. UConn commit Tyler Minick went 2-for-2 with a pair of singles and a walk. Grim had fun discussing what would happen if he had to pitch to Minick. Troche and Matt Ventura each doubled for Gov. Mifflin. Grim finished with 93 pitches. He held Boyertown to one run on five hits over seven frames last Saturday. The Mustangs beat the Bears 2-1 in eight innings. Fleetwood continues to get solid pitching, but the Tigers struggle to score. Their team batting average was .170 going into Thursday with an on-base percentage of .244. Junior second baseman Braden Williams has a team-high .318 average with 6 RBI. Soumas, an all-division selection as a freshman last year, is hitting .300. Grim struck out Williams with men on first and second to end the top of the fourth inning. The soft-spoken hurler likes to fish in his spare time. His favorite subjects include history and geometry. Grim, Detwiler, and Travis Jenkins were in the starting lineup on Thursday. They’re part of a ninth grade class that’s worth keeping an eye on in Shillington.