Berks Sports Report Paul Roberts
Wilson and Muhlenberg squared off Friday night at Owls Field in West Lawn as part of the Berks County High School Baseball Showcase. Cooper Burr came to the plate with the bases loaded and nobody out in the top of the sixth. The Muhls were trailing the Bulldogs 4-3. “Cooper is one of the team leaders. Cooper is arguably our best hitter when you put him up against some of the best pitchers in the league. That’s the guy I want in the batter’s box, one hundred percent,” emphasized Muhlenberg coach Brian Kopetsky. Burr delivered a two-run double to right field that put Muhlenberg in front 5-4. “I was looking dead red and I was gonna adjust to a curveball if he threw it to me again. He gave me that fastball and I took it the other way…I love it, pressure is a privilege,” explained Burr. Marvin Frias followed with a sacrifice fly to right for a final margin of 6-4. “The last two games have been like a playoff game. With the way we’re playing, I don’t think anyone can beat us,” stated Burr.
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.
