Macrina – Berks Sports Report https://berkssportsreport.com Paul Roberts Thu, 01 May 2025 15:30:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 Derek Macrina-Wyomissing https://berkssportsreport.com/derek-macrina-wyomissing-2/ Thu, 01 May 2025 15:26:10 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4895 Derek Macrina knows all about Wyomissing’s rivalry with Berks Catholic from his football playing days. “It’s that game you circle on your calendar. You gotta beat them,” said Macrina. The Spartans’ senior center fielder will continue his football career at Dickinson. He was in the middle of a thrilling 5-2 victory over the Saints in eight innings. It was the first game of the Berks County High School Baseball Showcase at Owls Field in West Lawn. The event continues with two games on Friday and three more on Saturday. Wyomissing prevented Berks Catholic from clinching the Division 3 championship on Wednesday. The (13-5, 9-3) Spartans hold a-half game lead over the (12-6, 8-3) Saints. Berks Catholic plays its final league game on Friday against Schuylkill Valley. If the Saints win, the division title will be decided by their District 3 power rankings. As of Thursday morning, Wyomissing (.631) had a slight edge over Berks Catholic (.610). The division champion automatically earns a spot in the BCIAA playoffs.

The Spartans got an unearned run in the top of the 1st after the Saints started the game with consecutive errors on ground balls. Noah Rauenzahn provided a RBI groundout to third base to help himself. The junior allowed two runs on four hits over six innings. Mikey Fidler also did a terrific job on the mound. The senior limited Wyomissing to one unearned run on three hits in six innings. Fidler (2-0, 1.88) struck out five, walked three, and hit a batter. The Spartans entered the day with a lofty .364 team batting average. Trey Stricker led off the bottom of the 1st with a triple to right-center. The West Chester commit and standout pitcher is hitting a team-high .468 this season. A sacrifice fly to center by Fidler made it 1-1. Victor Mejia put Berks Catholic in front 2-1 with a sacrifice fly to right field in the bottom of the 2nd. Aidan Curley, who had doubled to left, came in to score. The Saints, however, were shutout for the last six innings. Wyomissing had a chance to tie the game in the top of the 6th. Cole Sensenig, who’s committed to Eastern University, hit a two-out single through the middle. Berks Catholic junior center fielder Dom Valent threw out a runner at the plate to keep the Saints on top. Henry Pflomm took over on the mound for Berks Catholic in the 7th. Fidler, who threw 87 pitches, gave up two hits and a walk in the 6th. After a single by Macrina, sophomore Parker LaFerriere ripped a RBI double to deep left field to even things up at 2-2. “He has a really good swing and he’s really dedicated to the game of baseball. He’s got a lot of guts and he’s not afraid,” noted Macrina who scored the tying run. LaFerriere has a .455 batting average this year with seven doubles. Sophomores Teddy White and Zander Westwood opened the top of the 8th with singles. Brock Shrawder replaced Pflomm on the hill for the Saints. He walked Sensenig to load the bases with nobody out. Dan Noey, the No. 8 hitter, was then hit in the face by a pitch which brought in the go-ahead run. Macrina followed with a two-run bloop single down the right field line. “He jammed me a little bit. I got a little bit lucky. The game gives and takes and I got lucky,” he replied. Shrawder struck out three of the next four batters as the Spartans left the bases loaded. Ryan Graham got the win in relief. The junior southpaw tossed two hitless innings with two strikeouts and no walks. Graham lowered his ERA to 3.36 over 16.2 innings with 17 strikeouts. He went 1-for-3 at the plate and was intentionally walked twice. Graham leads the club with a .524 batting average. Macrina and White had two hits apiece. Wyomissing finished with eight hits and one error. The Saints managed just four hits and committed four errors. Pflomm was charged with three runs on four hits and a walk in 1+ innings. Meanwhile, the Spartans extended their winning streak to four under first-year head coach Nick Wojciechowski. “All season we’ve had that drive to never quit…Sometimes it’s not great to start slow, but as long as you finish and get the job done, that’s all that matters,” said Macrina.

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Derek Macrina-Wyomissing https://berkssportsreport.com/derek-macrina-wyomissing/ Sun, 15 Sep 2024 15:28:36 +0000 https://berkssportsreport.com/?p=4430 Derek Macrina still remembers being a ball boy for Wyomissing’s football team. The 5’11, 165-pound senior is now starting at halfback and safety for the Spartans. Wyomissing has claimed twelve District 3 championships including five in a row. Bob Wolfrum picked up win #365 on Saturday afternoon. The field is named after the head coach who’s in his 38th season at the helm. He guided the Spartans to a state title in 2012. There’s plenty of tradition in the small borough, and Macrina is thrilled to be part of one of the top programs in Pennsylvania. He got his first two touchdowns of the year in a 42-0 rout of Northern Lebanon. “It felt great. I have to give credit to my linemen and my backs because I was untouched both times. They did a great job,” emphasized Macrina. He finished with 53 yards on five carries. Macrina scored from 15 yards out on a sweep to the left to put Wyomissing on top 21-0 with 9:25 left in the second quarter. That 34-yard drive was set up by an interception from sophomore Justice Hardy. The (3-1, 1-0) Spartans found the end zone on their first four possessions. Chase Eisenhower rumbled for 91 yards and 2 TD on nine carries. The 215-pound junior fullback broke four tackles on a 39-yard score with five minutes remaining in the first half. “I probably should’ve kept blocking. I kind of stood and watched in awe. I’m like ‘Holy Cow’ this kid just doesn’t go down,” said Macrina. The third quarter began with junior linebacker Tyler Niedrowski forcing a fumble that was recovered by 255-pound defensive end Keaton Piacine. Danny Fleischood, a 190-pound junior, capped a quick 24-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown run up the middle. That score started the running clock with 9:07 to go in the third period. Hardy chipped in with 56 yards on five carries. Macrina likes the balance that Wyomissing has in the backfield. “It’s kind of pick your poison. Move your guys in the middle, we’re gonna go outside. You put them on the outside, we’re gonna go inside. It’s a one-two punch,” he replied. Sophomore Brady Ryan returned an interception to the Spartans’ 20-yard line late in the third quarter, but Wyomissing held. An interception by Wayne Reason in the end zone kept the (1-3, 0-1) Vikings off the board. Tymere Brooks-Gray provided the finishing touch with a 10-yard TD run. The Spartans are ranked #5 in the state in Class 4A by PennLive. They visit ELCO on Friday night.

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