Brian Kopetsky, who’s in his 27th year as the Muhls’ head coach, decided not to start Cole Moody. Muhlenberg’s ace had thrown 90 pitches in a 4-0 win over Gov. Mifflin on Thursday in the quarterfinals. Kopetsky gave the ball to sophomore John Martin. If healthy, he would have been one of the Muhls’ top pitchers this season. Martin had only one inning under his belt this spring. The young righty didn’t allow a run over the first two frames against Wilson.

Alex Frantz, the No. 9 hitter, and Gabel opened the bottom of the third with singles. Ryan Rosenberry, who tossed three scoreless innings on Friday in the county semifinals, took over for Martin. After a walk to Pat Lengle, Ben Kulp hit a grounder to third base. Sophomore Mike Canfield came home, but the throw wasn’t in time to get Gabel who scored the first run. Tim Lengle drew a walk to make it 2-0. A balk by Rosenberry gave the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead. Matt Mallis then put a squeeze bunt down the first base line which scored Kulp. Spohn followed with a RBI double down the third base line. “I was fired up. It was a great feeling, top 5 moment in baseball for me,” emphasized Spohn. Wilson took control with five runs on three hits and two walks in the third inning.

The Bulldogs ended it early with five more runs in the sixth. Sophomore Landon Kostelac led off with a double before Frantz walked. A single to left field by Gabel made it 6-0. A sacrifice fly to left by Ryan Marmolejos gave Wilson a 7-0 cushion. After walking Pat Lengle, Rosenberry was replaced by Chase Kreider. Following a walk by Kulp, Tim Lengle hit a 2-run opposite field single to left. Spohn’s RBI single through the middle was the final blow. The (17-6) Bulldogs claimed their second BCIAA title in three years and 14th overall. The (13-8) Muhls await the District 3-6A playoffs which begin on Friday.

Martin was charged with two runs on four hits in two innings. Rosenberry allowed seven runs on four hits and four walks in 3.1 innings. Gabel needed just 72 pitches to get through six frames. He also provided three of Wilson’s ten hits. Gabel boosted his batting average to .389 this year. Tim Lengle went 2-for-3 with a walk and 3 RBI. Spohn provided two hits and knocked in a pair of runs. “If you’re down, he really keeps you in it. He’s a great captain. Behind the plate, he’s a brick wall,” remarked Gabel of his catcher. Pat Lengle was 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs. The freshman is hitting .464 this season. His older brother, Tim, isn’t far behind at .431.

The Bulldogs are hitting .351 as a team this spring. They only used three pitchers to navigate through the county playoffs. Gabel, Kulp, and Pat Lengle each threw a complete game. Wilson outscored its three opponents 24-to-3. “I don’t think anyone can beat us when we’re playing our game,” stated Gabel.

The (16-6) Bulldogs won their first two meetings with Exeter by a combined score of 30-11. Martin, a Shippensburg commit, made sure that this wasn’t going to be another rout. The 6’4, 230-pound righty limited Wilson to one run on three hits in 5.1 innings. Martin struck out six and walked two. “He’s legit. He’s got a firm fastball and a snappy curveball. He keeps you on your toes,” said Kulp. Martin didn’t give up a hit until Ryan Marmolejos’ double to left field in the bottom of the fourth. He reached third base with one out, but was stranded there. The Bulldogs loaded the bases in the fifth. Marmolejos flew out to center to end the threat.

Freshman Pat Lengle started the bottom of the sixth with a grounder to first base. Jake Hafer made a diving stop, however, Martin dropped the toss while running to the bag. It was ruled a single for Lengle. Kulp then hit a ground ball to third and the (15-7) Eagles tried to turn a double play. They got an out at second base, but the throw to first got away which let Kulp reach second. Martin exited at that point after throwing 89 pitches. He had only pitched ten innings this spring prior to Friday. Mason Goodhart took over on the hill and Tim Lengle greeted him with a ground-rule double that bounced over the fence in right field. “That was awesome. As soon as we got the one run, we were three outs away,” replied Kulp. Sophomore Landon Kostelac, a courtesy runner, scored the lone run of the game.

Brenton Feathers hit a one-out single down the third base line in the top of the seventh. Goodhart grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end it. Kulp finished with 93 pitches. Wilson made two errors and Exeter committed one.

The Bulldogs are looking for their 14th Berks County title. They will take on third-seeded Muhlenberg on Monday. The county championship is set for 6:05pm at FirstEnergy Stadium. “The atmosphere is elite, top of the line. You get big crowds out there,” said Kulp.

The (10-11) Blazers weren’t able to take advantage of some early opportunities. They left eight men on base. Greyson Bell singled and Owen Howells walked to open the game. Sophomore Devon Lopez bunted into a double play as first baseman Cole Moody caught the pop up and threw to second base. In the second inning, Daniel Boone put runners on first and second with one out, but Burr was once again able to get out of trouble. He gave up two hits and five walks over four frames. The Penn State Schuylkill commit hit one batter and struck out two. Rosenberry held the Blazers to one hit in three innings with four strikeouts.

Aidan Bonte led off the bottom of the third with a single. He scored on Burr’s double to left-center. A sacrifice fly to left field by Gavin Moody made it 2-0. Cole Moody, Gavin’s twin brother, followed with a RBI single up the middle for a 3-0 edge. Aidan Howells was charged with three runs on five hits in three innings. The sophomore had pitched just 17 innings all season prior to Friday. Daniel Boone ace Greyson Bell fired a no-hitter in a 2-0 quarterfinal win over second-seeded Oley Valley. The sophomore southpaw piled up 16 strikeouts on Thursday.

Muhlenberg added two insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth. Burr and Marvin Frias singled to put runners on the corners. Frias got himself in a rundown between first and second base. When senior pitcher Owen Howells ran at Frias, Burr broke for home and scored. A throwing error on Cole Moody’s grounder to shortstop put the Muhls in front 5-0. Burr and Frias had two hits apiece. Frias scored a pair of runs and Cole Moody went 1-for-3 with a RBI. Muhlenberg ended up with seven hits. Owen Howells, Aidan’s older brother, allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits in three innings. The Blazers committed three errors while the Muhls had none. Senior shortstop Chase Yenser, an all-division pick last season, was unable to hit due to an injury. Rosenberry retired Daniel Boone in order in the seventh.

Muhlenberg advanced to the Berks County Championship on Monday at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Muhls will face top-seeded Wilson at 6:05pm. They split their two regular season meetings. “It’s a great matchup. There’s a lot of talking going on, but at the end of the day we all love it,” remarked Rosenberry.

The top-seeded Bulldogs trailed 3-1 after three innings in the nightcap at Muhlenberg. Wilson ended the game with eight runs in the sixth. The (15-6) Bulldogs finished with 13 hits from eight players. Pat Lengle had two hits and knocked in a pair of runs. The freshman also went the distance on the mound. Lengle allowed two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts. West Chester commit Jack Gabel provided two hits and three runs. Alex Frantz went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI. Chris Bergstrom took the loss for the (13-8) Cougars. He was charged with five runs, four earned, on nine hits in five innings.

Exeter-7, Berks Catholic-5

The fourth-seeded Eagles went on top 6-1 with four runs in the fourth inning. They had a 7-1 cushion entering the final frame. The (13-6) Saints made it interesting by scoring four times in the top of the seventh. Mason Goodhart was called upon to get the final three outs. He also went 2-for-2 at the plate with a couple of runs. Liam Porter gave up just one run on three hits over six innings. He struck out seven, but walked five. Porter helped himself with a RBI double. Henry Pflomm suffered the loss. He allowed seven runs, five earned, on seven hits in four innings. Exeter improved to (15-6). The Eagles meet Wilson at 4pm on Friday at Owls Field in West Lawn.

Muhlenberg-4, Gov. Mifflin-0

Cole Moody fired another complete game for the (12-7) Muhls. He held the (10-11) Mustangs to three hits. All four of Muhlenberg’s runs came in the bottom of the sixth. Moody and Mike Canfield delivered two-run singles. Cooper Burr chipped in with two hits and a run. RJ Weaver pitched very well for #6 seed Gov. Mifflin before running into trouble in the sixth. Weaver limited the Muhls to six hits while striking out four. The Mustangs were the defending Berks County champions.

Daniel Boone-2, Oley Valley-0

Greyson Bell and Timmy Fries, a pair of southpaws, squared off in a classic pitcher’s duel at Owls Field. Bell tossed a no-hitter with 16 strikeouts and two walks. The 6’2 lefty showed why he’s ranked as one of the top prospects in the Class of 2028. Fries was taken out after throwing 75 pitches in six innings. The Lebanon Valley College commit gave up just two hits and a walk while striking out seven. The seventh-seeded Blazers scored twice in the top of the seventh on wild pitches by Gryffin Cappellano. Chase Yenser had all three of Daniel Boone’s hits. He also scored a run. The (10-10) Blazers will take on Muhlenberg in the second semifinal game at Owls Field on Friday.

The Berks County quarterfinals will be held on Thursday, May 7th. The sites are Owls Field in West Lawn and Muhlenberg. The semifinals will take place at Owls Field on Saturday, May 9th. The first game of the doubleheader will begin at 1pm. The championship is set for 6:05pm on Monday, May 11th at FirstEnergy Energy Stadium.

Quarterfinal Matchups:

#4 Exeter vs. #5 Berks Catholic at 4pm at Muhlenberg

#1 Wilson vs. #8 Kutztown in the second game at Muhlenberg

#3 Muhlenberg vs. #6 Gov. Mifflin at 4pm at Owls Field

#2 Oley Valley vs. #7 Daniel Boone in the second game at Owls Field

Class 6A (14 teams qualify)

8. Wilson

13. Muhlenberg

14. Gov. Mifflin

19. Reading

Class 5A (14 teams qualify)

7. Exeter

13. Twin Valley

14. Daniel Boone

28. Conrad Weiser

Class 4A (8 teams qualify)

7. Oley Valley

10. Hamburg

11. Fleetwood

14. Schuylkill Valley

17. Tulpehocken

Class 3A (6 teams qualify)

3. Berks Catholic

4. Kutztown

6. Wyomissing

14. Brandywine Heights

Class 2A (4 teams qualify)

6. Antietam

Wilson has dropped three in a row after winning twelve consecutive games. The (13-6, 9-3) Bulldogs were outscored 23-to-1 by Gov. Mifflin and Reading this week. Wilson sent Ben Kulp to the mound on Friday. The West Chester commit entered the Senior Night contest with a (6-0) record and a 1.32 ERA. Gavin Moody made his first appearance for the (10-7, 9-3) Muhls. “I borrowed the opener idea. The goal was to get to Rosenberry for the fourth inning and ride him to the finish. At this point in the season, you get a little thin in pitching so we put Gavin in a tough spot. I thought Marv did a great job for the two innings to steady things,” noted Kopetsky. Moody hit Jack Gabel with a pitch to begin the bottom of the first. He then walked two batters, but limited the damage to one run on a passed ball. Frias tossed a pair of scoreless innings without allowing a hit. The junior lefty walked three and hit a batter.

John Martin, Muhlenberg’s designated hitter, stroked a two-run single to right field in the fourth. The lead didn’t last long for the Muhls. A wild pitch by Ryan Rosenberry tied it up at 2-2 in the bottom half of the frame. The Bulldogs made three errors in the fifth which put them in a 3-2 deficit. After Kulp doubled down the right field line in the bottom of the fifth, Tim Lengle ripped a RBI triple to right-center. A wild pitch put Wilson on top 4-3.

Muhlenberg loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth. Kulp had to exit after reaching the 100 pitch limit. Ben Shaub came out of the Bulldogs’ bullpen and struck out Rosenberry for the first out. That set the stage for Burr. His double fell just out of the reach of speedy right fielder Aidan Incledon. Rosenberry got three ground ball outs in the bottom of the seventh to retire Wilson in order. The Bulldogs, who came into the night with a .349 team batting average, were limited to three hits. Kulp went 1-for-2 with two walks. Burr provided two of the Muhls’ five hits. Kulp was charged with six runs, one earned, on four hits over five innings. The 6’2, 215-pound righty finished with eight strikeouts and a pair of walks. Wilson committed four errors, while Muhlenberg made none.

Both teams are headed to the BCIAA playoffs. The Berks County quarterfinals are set for Thursday, May 7th. The Muhls wrapped up a playoff berth on Tuesday with a 2-0 victory at Exeter. “Now you’re seeing a loose team. Now you’re seeing a team that’s hungry, a team that’s aggressive, a team that’s got some spirit. They’re a fun bunch. They can do some damage,” said Kopetsky.

Pflomm beat the (10-8, 8-4) Spartans for the second time this spring. The sidearm righty allowed just one earned run on four hits over 6.2 innings in their first meeting. The Saints prevailed 10-2 on April 8th. Pflomm wasn’t as sharp this time around. He gave up six runs, four earned, on eight hits in a complete game effort. The senior hit four batters, but didn’t issue any walks. Pflomm has a 2.46 ERA this year. He’s also batting .419 and is tied for the team lead with 17 RBI.

Noah Rauenzahn was charged with six runs on five hits and four walks. The Alvernia commit hit a pair of batters over three innings. Ryan Graham took over on the mound and allowed five runs, two earned, in 1.2 innings. The senior southpaw gave up three hits and four walks. He’s headed to Alvernia as well. Curran Cirulli was the third pitcher used by Wyomissing. The sophomore permitted five runs, three earned, on four hits over 1.1 innings. Cirulli handed out three walks. Berks Catholic first baseman Cole Harter reached base five times without a hit. He drew four walks and was hit by a pitch.

The Spartans got on the board first with two runs on three hits and an error in the first frame. Rauenzahn helped himself with a line drive single to center for a 1-0 lead. Cirulli then hit a high chopper over third base to bring in another run. The Saints responded with three runs in the second, including a two-run double down the left field line by sophomore Henry Lago. A sacrifice fly by Teddy White in the bottom half of the inning tied it at 3-3. Mejia put Berks Catholic back on top with a RBI single to left in the third. Mace followed with a two-run single down the third base line for a 6-3 advantage. Zander Westwood hammered a two-run triple to right in the bottom of the third. He scored on a groundout by Caleb Goodhead. It was knotted at 6-6 going to the fourth.

A two-run single to center by Mace quickly put the Saints in front 8-6. They tacked on three runs in the fifth, including a two-run double to left-center by Owen Schalk. He walked three times and scored three runs. Berks Catholic added five more runs in the top of the sixth. Pflomm delivered a three-run double to right-center. Mace made it 16-6 with a RBI single.

The Saints reached the BCIAA Championship Game a season ago before falling to Gov. Mifflin 11-1. The Berks County playoffs begin next Thursday. “It’s a very wide open county. I think we’re gonna have a good shot. I think we can make a really good run,” remarked Mace.

The two-time Berks County Player of the Year led the Saints to their first BCIAA Championship since 2018 this season. They outlasted Reading 62-57 in overtime at Santander Arena. McKoy poured in 29 points in the county final.

He came up big once again in the District 3-4A Championship. McKoy erupted for 35 points in a 58-52 overtime victory against Bishop McDevitt. Berks Catholic claimed its second straight District 3 title.

McKoy finished his career with 1,679 points. He was also an elite defender. The Saints went (50-9) in his last two seasons.

Moody held the (12-6, 7-5) Eagles to five hits. “He pitched the way he’s been pitching all season. He has been very efficient while striking out batters. It’s a nice combination and he’s not running up a 100 pitch count in five innings which is what Cole did last year,” noted Kopetsky. This is his 27th season at the helm in Laureldale. Moody needed just 90 pitches to get through seven frames. The Northampton Community College commit finished with six strikeouts and only one walk. He pounded the zone with a high-80s fastball. “I love the fastball. I love blowing it by people,” remarked Moody. He also has a very good slider. “They buckle, it’s awesome to see,” he said with a smile. His arsenal includes a curveball and changeup. Moody feels confident in utilizing all four pitches. He improved to (6-0) for the (9-7, 8-3) Muhls. Moody entered the game with a 1.17 ERA.

Muhlenberg got on the board early against Shippensburg commit Kamren Martin. The 6’4 righty made just his second start of the year. Cooper Burr and Marvin Frias opened the top of the first with singles. Moody helped himself with a RBI groundout to shortstop. Exeter threatened in the bottom half of the inning. Jake Hafer, who’s headed to East Stroudsburg, and Jake Franek singled with nobody out. However, Moody got two groundouts and a strikeout to escape the jam. Brenton Feathers ripped a double down the left field line to open the bottom of the fourth. The Eagles weren’t able to get a bunt down to advance him to third base. Moody then got another groundout and a strikeout to keep the shutout intact.

The Muhls made it 2-0 in the fifth without the benefit of a hit. Mason Goodhart replaced Martin who threw 64 pitches in four innings. Martin allowed four hits with one strikeout and no walks. Goodhart walked Aidan Bonte, the No. 8 hitter, to begin the fifth. After a fly ball to center field, Burr hit a grounder to shortstop. Franek threw to sophomore Xavier Jacobs at second base for a force out, but Jacobs dropped the ball. Frias followed with a sacrifice fly to left to knock in Bonte with the second run of the afternoon. Goodhart was charged with one unearned run on three hits over three innings.

Brandon Weller led off the bottom of the sixth with a single to left field. After Matt Woram grounded out to shortstop, Feathers lofted a shallow fly ball to center. Gavin Moody, Cole’s twin brother, made the catch on the run and threw to first base to get Woram for a double play. Cole Moody retired Exeter in order in the seventh as Muhlenberg clinched second place in Division 1. Burr ended up with three of the Muhls’ seven hits. Bonte went 1-for-2 with a walk. Franek was 2-for-3 for the Eagles. They’re in third place in the division with no league games remaining.

Muhlenberg went (11-9) last spring and missed out on the Berks County playoffs. “Last year was a little different when we were the #9 team and we didn’t get in. It’s a goal, they always want to get to [FirstEnergy] stadium. It’s great to be back,” said Kopetsky. The Muhls will be a tough customer with Moody on the hill. “We want to make a run, especially for the seniors. I think it’s a very wide open county. If we bring it every day like this, I don’t think anybody is stopping us,” stated Moody.