Cam Burr-Muhlenberg

Paul Roberts — Wed, 18 May 2022 22:15:00 +0000

Cam Burr won’t forget the past 48 hours for a long time. The sophomore third baseman was the winning pitcher and drove in three runs in the Berks County semifinals against Exeter. Burr came up big again in the BCIAA championship versus Oley Valley on Wednesday night. He went 2-for-3 with a walk. The speedy leadoff hitter scored three runs and knocked in another as the second-seeded Muhls defeated the eighth-seeded Lynx 11-3. It’s Muhlenberg’s second county title since 2018 and 13th overall. Seven different players in the Muhls’ lineup had at least one RBI for the second straight day. They put up 30 runs in three playoff games. Burr explained why they’re such a dangerous offensive ball club. He loves setting the tone at the top of the order. Oley Valley had a chance to strike first, but Brad Coley struck out Ty Yerger with the bases loaded to end the top of the first. Burr scored on a sacrifice fly by Luis Beato and Jacob Rodriguez provided a 2-out, RBI single to left in the bottom of the first. The (19-2) Muhls erupted for five more runs in the second frame off of Yerger. He replaced Luke Macdonald who was taken out after one inning. Macdonald had allowed just two earned runs and 18 hits over 38 innings entering Wednesday. Yerger was charged with seven runs on six hits and three walks in two innings. Burr added an RBI single in the third to give Muhlenberg an 8-2 advantage. The Muhls scored in each of the first four innings. They’re averaging 7.6 runs. Beato had 3RBI including a 2-run single in the second that made it 5-0. Sean Levan was on base all three times with a single, walk, and hit by pitch. He drove in a pair of runs. Sophomore catcher Shane Rosenberry finished 2-for-2 with a walk. Coley limited the (13-8) Lynx to two runs on three hits in five innings. The Alvernia commit struck out six and walked three. The senior southpaw is (4-0) with 70K over 39 innings. Coley has only given up 12 hits all season. Levan tossed the final two innings. Oley Valley picked up an unearned run in the seventh when Muhlenberg made three errors. The Lynx, who had won nine of their last eleven contests, managed only four hits. The Muhls had six seniors in their starting lineup. Burr said, “I love those guys. They’re my brothers for life. I don’t know what we would do without them.” Burr told me that he really enjoys playing at FirstEnergy Stadium. He thanked head coach Brian Kopetsky for having faith in him on Tuesday when Muhlenberg faced #3 seed Exeter. Burr kept the Eagles to three runs in 5.1 innings, and the Muhls prevailed 10-7. Burr talked about what he likes to do in his free time, and who the best video game players are on the team. Muhlenberg will be the top seed in the District 3-5A tournament. Burr noted that they’re a very confident group.

Snip Esterly-Berks Catholic

Paul Roberts — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 20:40:00 +0000

How well did Berks Catholic play against Middletown in the District 3-4A championship? Well, head coach Snip Esterly was at a loss for words after the 60-37 rout. If you know Esterly, you understand that’s a very rare occurrence. The (23-4) Saints raced out to a 19-4 lead after the first quarter. Ryan Koch, Aidan Sands, and Jack Miller drilled 3-pointers in the opening period, while the Blue Raiders were ice cold. Koch knocked down a baseline jumper at the buzzer to end a near flawless quarter for the #1 seed. Aron Reinhart and Sands hit consecutive treys early in the second period to put Berks Catholic on top 25-6. Middletown senior forward Tajae Broadie fouled Koch on a 3-point attempt right before the buzzer. The 6’3 junior calmly sank all three free throws, and the Saints went to the locker room up 32-12. Miller, a 5’10 junior, splashed two more shots from beyond the arc in the third quarter. Berks Catholic extended its lead to 47-21 entering the final period. Third-seeded Middletown finished 2-12 from 3-point range. The (20-4) Blue Raiders shot 27% from the field. They were looking for their second straight District 3 title and sixth overall. Esterly told me that this was the Saints’ best defensive effort of the season. He said Sands did a tremendous job guarding the 6’4, 240-pound Broadie who’s committed to Old Dominion for football. The all-state defensive end is expected to play tight end in college. Broadie had a team-high 15 points. He’s just two shy of 1,000 for his career. Esterly emphasized how important perimeter shooting was in this matchup. Berks Catholic went 8-17 from deep. The Saints have made 182 triples this year, the most in Berks County. Koch, Miller, and Sands have combined for 141. Junior point guard Jay Jay Jordan, a three-year starter, scored eight of his game-high 17 points in the first quarter. Koch added 16, Miller had nine, and Sands chipped in with eight. Reinhart provided seven points off the bench. Esterly stresses balanced scoring and unselfishness. He mentioned that playing at Santander Arena during the Berks Conference playoffs really benefited his team today at the Giant Center. Esterly has won 13 District 3 championships in his 33 years as a head coach. He’s (4-0) in District 3 Finals with Berks Catholic. We discussed how he prepares for big games. Esterly’s all-time record in the postseason is a remarkable (193-70). The Saints are (26-8) in the District 3 playoffs over eleven seasons. This is their first championship since 2018. Esterly hasn’t even glanced at the state playoff bracket. He’s enjoying an incredible turnaround from (6-11) last year to receiving gold medals in Hershey.

champs – Berks Sports Report

Cam Burr-Muhlenberg

Snip Esterly-Berks Catholic