Heartbreaking Loss for the Mustangs

Paul Roberts — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 14:46:27 +0000

With two outs in the bottom of the 6th inning, everything changed. Up until that point, Bryce Detwiler was dealing on the mound. The UConn commit had allowed just one hit, an infield single, and no walks. Franklin Pichardo, a Maryland commit, stunned Gov. Mifflin with a solo homer to left field. The senior catcher flipped the bat high into the air. That was the lone run of the game as Liberty advanced to the PIAA-6A semifinals. “Bryce did a great job. They have a very good lineup. He’s gonna beat himself up over that one pitch, but overall he did a fantastic job. I couldn’t ask for more from a senior captain,” said head coach Chris Hole. Detwiler (9-1) and Hole were very emotional after the loss at DeSales University on Thursday. “I love them. Life is bigger than baseball. You learn more from your failures than your successes,” noted Hole. The (26-2) Mustangs couldn’t capitalize on early opportunities against Liam Fitzpatrick. The junior righty got the start because Hurricanes’ ace Michael Mariano Jr. wasn’t available after pitching in their 11-3 first round victory over West Chester Henderson. Mariano Jr. is (11-1) with a 2.12 ERA over 85.2 innings. Fitzpatrick entered the state quarterfinal at Weiland Park with a modest (4-3) record and a 4.89 ERA. He gave up a single and a pair of walks in the opening frame, but struck out Billy Angstadt with the bases loaded. Gov. Mifflin failed to score in the 2nd after putting runners on first and second with one out. Detwiler struck out and Pichardo threw out a runner trying to steal third base. “We knew their catcher was outstanding and he was able to erase a couple guys on the bases. We were able to get one bunt down, but missed a couple others,” lamented Hole. The Mustangs had another chance to get on the scoreboard in the top of the 3rd with runners on the corners. Angstadt ripped a line drive right at sophomore shortstop Willie Cruz to end the threat. Gov. Mifflin left six men on base in the first three innings and seven overall. “We hit the ball on the screws to a lot of their guys, especially right field. We took the ball well the other way, but nothing fell,” acknowledged Hole. The Mustangs finished with just four hits and none after the 3rd inning. Fitzpatrick had four strikeouts and five walks in four innings. Rocco Sciarra, a 6’1 junior, earned the win with three hitless innings of relief and one strikeout. Detwiler, the two-time Berks County Player of the Year, grounded out to first base to end it. He was one of eight seniors in Gov. Mifflin’s starting lineup. Liberty, the District 11 runner-up, will face Cedar Cliff in the PIAA-6A semifinals on Monday. The Hurricanes stand at (22-6). The Mustangs won their first state championship a season ago in Class 5A. They brought home BCIAA and District 3 titles this year. Gov. Mifflin went (50-7) over the past two seasons. “This team will go down as the best in Mifflin baseball history,” stated Hole.

Wilson tops Liberty in Nailbiter

Paul Roberts — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 18:22:32 +0000

Wilson versus Liberty was a highly anticipated matchup in the CoBL Winter Classic at Exeter High School. The Bulldogs and Hurricanes didn’t disappoint. Wilson pulled out a gutsy 45-43 victory on Saturday night. The Bulldogs were without All-County soccer player Tommy McFadden due to an illness. Jon Etim made two free throws with six seconds left to put Wilson on top. Jake Pukszyn’s heave from just inside half-court hit the backboard and then the back of the rim at the buzzer. The 6’3 junior and standout football player led Liberty with 17 points. Pukszyn had seven points over the last eight minutes. The Hurricanes were the District 11-6A runner-up a season ago. They brought back four starters from a 20-win squad. The Bulldogs are the defending BCIAA champions with a very experienced team. Wilson got off to a slow start and fell behind 13-4. Jarrell Teague sank two 3-pointers and scored eight points in the opening quarter. The 5’11 junior ended up with 15 points. Madyx Gruber kept the Bulldogs in the game. The All-County guard reeled off Wilson’s first 15 points. The star quarterback had a game-high 21 points, despite not making a shot in the second half. Gruber was 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Liberty was in front 24-21 at halftime. Cam Zullinger’s trey gave the Bulldogs a 27-26 edge. They had a slim 33-31 advantage entering the fourth quarter. Correll Akings connected from long range to make it 39-38 midway through the final period. The 5’10 guard provided eleven points. Chase Dusseau came off the Hurricanes’ bench and splashed a triple that tied it at 41-41 with three minutes remaining. Liberty was limited to two points the rest of the way. Pukszyn fouled Etim beyond the 3-point line in the final seconds. Etim, a senior guard, came through on his first free throw attempts of the night. He chipped in with six points. The (2-0) Bulldogs were 11-of-12 from the foul line. The (2-1) Hurricanes were just 2-of-5. They made five 3-pointers, one more than Wilson. The Bulldogs square off against another tough opponent on Monday night. They meet Berks Catholic in West Lawn. McFadden is expected to return for Wilson. The (2-0) Saints defeated Cumberland Valley and Pope John Paul II at the CoBL Winter Classic. All-State guard Kingston McKoy had 44 combined points for Berks Catholic.

Liberty – Berks Sports Report

Heartbreaking Loss for the Mustangs

Wilson tops Liberty in Nailbiter