Kutztown and Reading combined for 16 runs when they met in the winner’s bracket final of the Berks County Legion playoffs on Saturday. The second-seeded Cougars and top-seeded Groundhogs squared off again on Monday for the championship, but this time runs were at a premium. Chris Bergstrom’s two-out, RBI single …
Read More »Tim Mertz-Kutztown
Denver Ostrum’s pitching statistics didn’t jump off the page this season. The Delone Catholic senior had a 4.28 ERA entering the District 3-2A championship at Wenger Field in Fredericksburg. Kutztown wasn’t able to figure out the right-hander on Thursday night. Ostrum hurled a complete game four-hitter in a 7-1 victory …
Read More »Brandon Shurr-Berks Catholic
Berks Catholic got production up and down its batting order in a 12-8 win over Kutztown. The Saints piled up 15 hits in a battle of division leaders on Monday. Head coach Brandon Shurr likes the depth in his lineup. “I think it’s one of our strengths as a team. …
Read More »Brenden Ackley-Kutztown
Last fall was Brenden Ackley’s first season with the Kutztown football team. He previously attended St. Marys Memorial High School in Ohio. Ackley made a great first impression in Kutztown. The 5’8, 195-pound fullback rumbled for a team-high 963 yards and eight touchdowns. Ackley averaged 6.7 yards per carry. The …
Read More »Kutztown falls to Mount Union
Kutztown’s postseason ride came to an end on Tuesday at Big Spring High School. Perennial power Mount Union beat the Cougars 5-2 in the PIAA-2A semifinals. The (25-2) Trojans entered the game with a lofty team batting average of .371. Eight players in their lineup had at least one hit. …
Read More »Schafer Throws Another Gem-Kutztown
Bryce Schafer tossed a complete game 5-hitter in Kutztown’s win over Halifax in the District 3-2A championship. The senior right-hander was back at work in the state quarterfinals on Thursday night at Pine Grove. Schafer threw six scoreless innings in a 9-0 victory over District 4 runner-up South Williamsport. The …
Read More »PIAA Baseball Playoffs
Three Berks County baseball teams qualified for the state playoffs. Congratulations to Wilson, Muhlenberg, and Kutztown for advancing to the PIAA tournament. The action begins on Monday all across Pennsylvania. Here are the first round matchups involving the Bulldogs, Muhls, and Cougars. Class 6A District 3 runner-up Wilson meets District …
Read More »Nick Hugo-Kutztown
Nick Hugo had the best seat at Wenger Field in Fredericksburg to see Bryce Schafer toss a complete game gem in the District 3-2A championship. Hugo is a two-time all-division catcher for the Cougars. Schafer is also his best friend. “He left it all out there. He’s been fighting through …
Read More »Tim Mertz-Kutztown
I asked Kutztown head coach Tim Mertz what his expectations were before the season. Mertz paused, and then paused some more. Finally, with a grin on his face, he collected his thoughts and said he has high hopes. In his humble fashion, Mertz referred to his team as “solid.” It …
Read More »Grant Fitzgerald-Kutztown
Grant Fitzgerald will never forget his appearance last season against Brandywine Heights. The senior lefty gave up a tiebreaking home run to Joe Crist in a 7-5 loss to the Bullets. One year later, almost to the day, Fitzgerald got some revenge. He tossed six strong innings and delivered an …
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