Mustangs – Berks Sports Report

Laila Jones-Wilson

Paul Roberts — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 12:42:23 +0000

Laila Jones was an All-County selection as a freshman and sophomore. Wilson’s point guard missed all of last season due to a torn ACL. Jones is back for her senior campaign which makes the Bulldogs the favorite in the BCIAA. They cruised to a 54-35 victory at Gov. Mifflin on Monday. “I feel great. It feels great to be back playing the sport I love with the teammates I love,” emphasized Jones. The 5’8 senior scored a game-high 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Wilson rattled off the first ten points. The (6-1) Bulldogs quickly built a 13-2 advantage against their rivals from Shillington. “I always take it personal. We gotta get the win,” said Jones of facing the Mustangs. She had seven points in the opening quarter and knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in the first half. “She’s a stabilizing force for us. She’s a player that makes everybody better around her…It’s huge for us to have her back,” remarked second-year head coach Matt Raquet.

Wilson was in front 15-7 after eight minutes and 30-16 at halftime. Jones provided seven points in the third quarter when she went 5-of-6 from the foul line. Ryan Leaman, a North Carolina lacrosse commit, gave the Bulldogs a boost with 14 points off the bench. “She can bring up the ball, push on transition, and give us the 3,” noted Jones. Leaman hit three of their six triples.

Kailani Hardy was the Bulldogs’ leading scorer a season ago when they went (20-10) and reached the second round of the state tournament. The 5’10 guard averaged 14 ppg. as a sophomore and was voted to the All-County team. Hardy was given the assignment of guarding Bella Super on Monday. The 5’7 junior was averaging 21 ppg. Super was a third team All-State pick in Class 6A last year. After scoring seven points in the first quarter, she was limited to two free throws the rest of the game. Raquet was thrilled with Hardy’s defensive effort. “It was unbelievable. I think she’s one of, if not thee best defender in the county. She shut her down tonight. She loves those matchups against the other team’s best player,” stated Raquet. Hardy also contributed eleven points, including nine in the second half. Wilson was on top 43-24 entering the final quarter.

Super is up to 938 career points. Jones isn’t far behind at 888. She’s averaging 14.3 ppg. this season. Violet Houck was a factor on both ends of the floor. The 6’ senior forward had 8 points and 11 rebounds. Houck is a three-time All-Division selection on the court and a record-setting hurdler on the track team. Bridget Martin finished with a team-high eleven points for the (4-3) Mustangs. Saray Renninger, a 5’10 sophomore, chipped in with nine points and Brooklyn George had six. Super, Martin, and George are all three-year starters for head coach Mike Clark. He’s won 319 games over 18 seasons, including four years at Oley Valley.

Gov. Mifflin struggled from long range. The Mustangs connected just three times from beyond the arc. They went 10-of-18 from the foul line, while the Bulldogs were 6-of-10. Wilson lost to Gov. Mifflin 60-56 in the BCIAA semifinals last season. The Bulldogs haven’t won a Berks County championship since 2014. “It’s definitely in my mind. We do not talk about it. We just stick to playing to our standards and taking it game by game,” said Jones.

Lebron Leaf-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 19:38:25 +0000

The football doesn’t end up in the air too much when Gov. Mifflin is on offense. The Mustangs have had a lot of success with their triple-option attack. In Week 1, they ran the ball 44 times and attempted just four passes. Senior quarterback Lebron Leaf is willing to do whatever it takes to win. “I’m originally a running back so I bring a running back style to the quarterback room. At the end of the day, I can do both,” he replied. Leaf ran 13 times for 68 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-20 victory at Pleasant Valley. “That result was a show of our hard work this offseason and pushing ourselves to the limit. That was a big win,” said Leaf. Gov. Mifflin rumbled for 280 yards on the ground. Senior fullback Nick Kalis had 68 yards and a score on 13 carries. Pat Steuer added 52 rushing yards and a touchdown. The 5’8, 140-pound junior also took a kickoff 84 yards to the house. Tight end Derek Dinatale, wide receiver Joe Murray, and running back Cam Overley are some other skill position players who should make an impact this fall in Shillington.

The Mustangs only returned three starters on offense and five on defense in Nick Morrissey’s second year as head coach. “We lost a lot of key parts of our offensive line last year, but a lot of young guys are stepping up,” noted Leaf. The right side of the line includes Noah Viruet at tackle and Dylan Worley at guard. Both seniors start on defense as well. Viruet stands 6’1 and tips the scale at 336 pounds. Worley (6’, 243) was voted a first team guard and second team linebacker in Section 2 of the Lancaster-Lebanon League last season. Leaf described him as “very strong, very physical, very scrappy.”

Leaf is an all-around athlete and terrific leader. The 6’2, 197-pound senior missed the entire basketball season due to a shoulder injury that he suffered while playing football last fall. Leaf was named a second team safety in Section 2 after making 50 tackles and an interception. He carried a 3.6 GPA during his junior year. The Mustangs are looking to improve upon their (5-6, 3-3) mark in 2024. They moved up to Class 6A and ran into Cumberland Valley in the first round of the District 3 playoffs. Gov. Mifflin fell to the eighth-seeded Eagles 44-12.

The Mustangs are preparing for their home opener against Perkiomen Valley. The Vikings defeated Gov. Mifflin 31-14 a season ago. As for the keys to this Friday’s matchup, Leaf said, “controlling the ball, being smart with the ball, not turning over the ball, and doing the little things right.” He added, “If we all do our jobs and we execute, we’re gonna come out and dominate. They’re a great team. We just gotta stick to our game plan.” Leaf will be a big part of the game plan in Shillington this year.

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.

Ethan Grim-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Wed, 28 May 2025 16:29:45 +0000

Ethan Grim mentioned after the District 3-6A championship that he wasn’t at his best on Monday night at Penn Medicine Park. “I was kind of feeling weak because of the sun hitting me weird. I was trying to drink a lot of water. I wasn’t feeling myself,” he noted. That’s a scary thought because the Virginia Tech commit was still able to throw a five-hitter with 13 strikeouts. Gov. Mifflin beat Cedar Cliff 6-1 for its first District 3 title. The top-seeded Mustangs improved to (25-1). Grim held the third-seeded Colts to five hits and one walk. Their lone run came in the 7th on a bloop RBI single by Will Kocher. “I didn’t have my best fastball so I was kind of relying on my off-speed [pitches],” explained Grim. The 6’1, 195-pound senior fired a 93 mph fastball in the final inning. He reached 300 career strikeouts and went 2-for-3 at the plate. Grim (8-0) punched out five batters in the first two frames. Meanwhile, Cedar Cliff turned to senior catcher Bennett Secrest due to an injury to ace Peyton Price. The sophomore has 72 strikeouts and only five walks over 52.1 innings. Price (8-1, 0.80) has given up just 34 hits all season. Secrest did his best to keep the (17-6) Colts in the game. Dylan Barrett got Gov. Mifflin on the board with a RBI single to right field in the bottom of the 2nd. Grim ripped a two-out double down the third base line in the next inning. One run scored on the play, but Bryce Detwiler was thrown out at the plate. Secrest was charged with a pair of runs on five hits and a walk in three innings. Kaiden Alday took over on the mound in the 4th, however, he only recorded one out. Designated hitter Charlie Ainge made it 3-0 with a RBI single to right. Detwiler, who’s headed to UConn, knocked in another run with a groundout to shortstop. Alday allowed two runs on two hits and two walks. Matt Koehler delivered a RBI single to left in the 5th for a 5-0 cushion. The Juniata commit was 3-for-3 and scored twice. “He’s under recognized this year. We have dudes throughout the lineup,” stated Grim. Koehler is also an All-County basketball player. Sophomore Max Utsick gave up one run on three hits and a walk in one inning of relief. He was replaced by junior Michael Boblick. In the bottom of the 6th, Brandon Adams crushed a solo homer to right field for a 6-0 advantage. “That definitely went out of the stadium. Off the bat, I knew it was gone,” replied Grim. The Mustangs finished with eleven hits. Eight different batters had at least one hit. There were no errors in the game which lasted less than two hours. Gov. Mifflin has earned BCIAA and District 3 championships this spring. The Mustangs captured the PIAA-5A crown last season. The state tournament begins on Monday. “We were coming into this season wanting all three [titles]. It feels pretty good,” said Grim.

Dylan Barrett-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Sat, 24 May 2025 13:31:25 +0000

When you heard the crack of the bat, you knew it was gone. Ethan Grim hammered a solo homer to center field in the 2nd inning of Friday’s District 3-6A semifinal against Ephrata. “That was the farthest ball I’ve ever seen,” stated Mustangs’ outfielder Dylan Barrett. Top-seeded Gov. Mifflin cruised past the fifth-seeded Mounts 11-1 in five innings. After a slow start, Grim’s home run tied the game at 1-1 and fired up the (24-1) Mustangs. “Ethan came up, hit that bomb and that definitely started everything. Everybody got really excited,” replied Barrett. Grim is known for his work on the mound, however, the Virginia Tech commit can also do plenty of damage at the plate. Barrett provided three of Gov. Mifflin’s twelve hits. He knocked in three runs and scored two more. Charlie Ainge went 2-for-3 in his first start of the season. “We’re looking for a DH. He definitely fills that role. He came out today really hot,” said Barrett. Bryce Detwiler and Matt Koehler added two hits apiece. Detwiler struggled with his command in the 1st inning. The UConn commit walked three batters and then hit Caleb Grant to force in a run. Detwiler had issued just seven walks in 46 innings entering the day. He came into the contest with a staggering 0.60 ERA. The two-time Berks County Player of the Year settled down and limited Ephrata to two hits over five frames with seven strikeouts. Detwiler improved to (9-0) this year. “I wasn’t worried at all. They say he’s our No. 2 [pitcher]. They’re both No. 1 in my eyes. They’re both great pitchers. I have the same confidence in both of them,” noted Barrett. Grim has a (7-0) mark and features a fastball that’s 92-94 mph. After his homer, Barrett hit a bloop RBI single to right that brought home Koehler for a 2-1 lead. Ainge doubled down the right field line to make it 3-1. An error on Aden Reiter’s grounder to shortstop put the Mustangs in front 4-1 against the Lancaster-Lebanon League runner-up. Gov. Mifflin tacked on five more runs in the 3rd. A safety squeeze bunt by Billy Angstadt with the bases loaded gave them a 5-1 cushion. Barrett, the No. 7 hitter in the lineup, followed with a two-run double to left-center. Detwiler then hit a ground ball to third base with two outs that took a bad hop. It was ruled a single and brought in a pair of runs. Camryn Simes was charged with nine runs, eight earned, on nine hits in three innings. The junior came into Friday with a (10-0) record and a 1.58 ERA. The Millersville commit had piled up 93 strikeouts over 62 innings, while only giving up 37 hits. The Mustangs ended it in the 5th. Sophomore Ethan Gockley hit Branson Adams with the bases juiced. He then walked Travis Jenkins to make it 11-1. The (18-8) Mounts lost to Gov. Mifflin 6-4 back on April 5th. They’ll travel to Hempfield on Tuesday for the third-place game. Meanwhile, the Mustangs will battle third-seeded Cedar Cliff for the District 3-6A title on Monday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45pm at Penn Medicine Park in Lancaster. Cedar Cliff beat Hempfield 8-5 in the semifinals. Gov. Mifflin is seeking its first District 3 championship.

Aden Reiter-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Thu, 15 May 2025 14:01:07 +0000

If you follow the Gov. Mifflin baseball team, you know all about Bryce Detwiler, Ethan Grim, Travis Jenkins, and Matt Koehler. You may not be familiar with Aden Reiter. The 5’5 junior plays shortstop and hits in the No. 9 hole when Detwiler is on the mound. He can be overlooked in a star-studded lineup that includes three Division I players. Reiter’s two-out, RBI single to right field helped the Mustangs break the BCIAA Championship Game open in the 4th inning. “I was looking for a fastball my first at-bat. I missed the fastball and I really wanted to hunt the fastball my second at-bat,” explained Reiter. Berks Catholic ace Trey Stricker was trying to get out of a jam and keep the score 2-1. After a walk and a single, Stricker struck out the next two batters. Reiter, however, didn’t let him off the hook. His single brought home Koehler for a 3-1 advantage. Gov. Mifflin ended up with four runs in the 4th and cruised to a 11-1 victory in six innings. The (22-1) Mustangs claimed their 16th Berks League title. Last year, they lost to Wilson 10-3 in the BCIAA Final. “It really motivated us. It lit a fire,” emphasized Reiter. After his single, Detwiler was walked intentionally which loaded the bases. Branson Adams was hit by a pitch to make it 4-1. Jenkins and Grim drew consecutive walks and the lead quickly became 6-1. Stricker, who held Wilson to one run over 6.2 innings in Saturday’s quarterfinal, gave up six runs in 3.2 innings on Wednesday night at Owls Field. The West Chester commit allowed four hits, four walks, and hit two batters. He entered the game with a (5-0) record and an eye-popping 0.44 ERA over 48 innings this season. Sophomore lefty Cole Harter tossed 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, but Gov. Mifflin erupted for five runs off Brock Shrawder in the 6th. Jenkins delivered a sacrifice fly to left for a 7-1 edge. The senior catcher, who’s headed to Canisius, was 1-for-1 with 2 RBI. Billy Angstadt then walked with the bases juiced. Sean Kelly was brought in from the bullpen and walked pinch-hitter Jaden Smith. Joe Murray, another pinch-hitter, followed with a two-run double to right field to end it. Detwiler went the distance for the Mustangs. The UConn commit limited the (15-7) Saints to three hits. Detwiler struck out seven and walked none. “He always goes out there and does great. He’s a dog,” said Reiter. Grim put top-seeded Gov. Mifflin in front 2-0 with a single to center in the bottom of the 1st. “It felt great because we could go out on defense and relax and make plays,” noted Reiter. Grim, a Virginia Tech commit, went 2-for-3 with a run and 3 RBI. Adams and Angstadt each added a hit and scored two runs apiece. The Mustangs finished with eight hits. Berks Catholic handed out ten walks. The seventh-seeded Saints were searching for their first Berks County championship. Junior outfielder Owen Schalk was 2-for-2. He scored their lone run on Victor Mejia’s sacrifice fly to center in the 2nd inning. Both teams are headed to the District 3 playoffs. Gov. Mifflin has moved up to Class 6A this year. After winning their third BCIAA crown in five seasons, the Mustangs will get a bye in the opening round of the District 3-6A tournament. They will host either #8 Northeastern or #9 Mechanicsburg in the quarterfinals on Monday at 4:30pm. Berks Catholic is home against Littlestown in the District 3-3A quarterfinals on Monday. First pitch is at 4:30pm.

Mustangs hold off Eagles in Semifinals

Paul Roberts — Tue, 13 May 2025 03:55:37 +0000

Gov. Mifflin outscored Exeter 16-2 in their two regular season meetings. The fifth-seeded Eagles put up a much tougher fight on Monday night at FirstEnergy Stadium. The top-seeded Mustangs took advantage of four errors to beat Exeter 2-1 in the BCIAA semifinals. Ethan Grim allowed one run on just four hits over six innings. The Virginia Tech commit struck out nine and walked three. “Just a gutsy performance for him. He probably would be the first to tell you that he didn’t have his best stuff. He went out real hard in the first inning and I think that affected his stamina…Can’t say enough about Ethan,” said head coach Chris Hole. Grim hit 95 mph in the opening frame. The 6’1, 195-pound righty struck out three of the first six batters that he faced. Exeter’s Kamren Martin, a 6’3 junior, was equally impressive on the mound. Both of the runs that he gave up were unearned. Martin limited Gov. Mifflin to five hits. He finished with seven strikeouts and two walks in 5.2 innings. Bryce Detwiler reached on an error in the bottom of the 1st. The UConn commit scored on a single up the middle by Branson Adams. Detwiler ripped a ball that hit Martin in the leg in the 2nd. Martin’s throw to first base was off target which allowed Detwiler to reach second. Travis Jenkins then singled through the left side and kept running towards second base. The throw to second base got away and Detwiler raced home for an early 2-0 edge. However, the (21-1) Mustangs wouldn’t score again. Detwiler went 1-for-3 and Billy Angstadt added a pair of singles. Jenkins was 1-for-1 with a couple of walks. The (15-7) Eagles were hitless until the top of the 5th. Chase Youse and Aiden Rhoades provided back-to-back singles. Jake Hafer singled to left field to pull Exeter within 2-1. Grim got a groundout to second to minimize the damage. The Eagles threatened in the top of the 6th. They had a runner on second base with one out. Grim struck out the next two batters to keep Gov. Mifflin in front. Detwiler picked up the save with two strikeouts in the 7th. Gavin Barker, the designated hitter, started the 7th with a bloop single to right field. He was stranded on second base as Rhoades flew out to right and Hafer struck out to end a tense matchup. “We knew that they were gonna be on their game tonight and give us their absolute best. Credit to them, that’s exactly what they did,” noted Hole. Each team left six runners on base. The Mustangs committed one error. They will meet Berks Catholic for the Berks League championship. That game is scheduled for 7pm on Tuesday at Owls Field.

Branson Adams-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 13:23:04 +0000

Gov. Mifflin and Wilson were tied 1-1 after three frames on Monday afternoon. Branson Adams helped to break the game open with a two-run homer to right field in the 4th. It was the first home run of his high school career. “I was just sitting dead red right there and I got that middle-in fastball. I swung as hard as I could,” explained the senior outfielder. The Mustangs put six runs on the board in the top of the 4th and cruised to a 14-3 victory. Gov. Mifflin clinched the Division 1 championship in the Berks League. The (17-1) Mustangs bounced back in a big way from Friday’s 3-2 loss to Hempfield in nine innings. “It kind of gave us a little wake-up call. Everything is not gonna be handed to us. You gotta work your butt off,” said Adams. The (11-6) Bulldogs entered the week trailing Gov. Mifflin by three games in the division with three to play. Wilson opted to send Austin Snyder, its #4 starter, to the mound. The senior righty pitched well for three innings. Each team was limited to an unearned run in the 1st. Snyder opened the 4th with walks to Billy Angstadt and Dylan Barrett. Nate Radwanski, the No. 9 hitter, laid a bunt down the third base line that Snyder threw away. That error made it 2-1 with nobody out. Bryce Detwiler followed with a two-run single to center before Adams launched his home run. After a double by catcher Travis Jenkins, Matt Koehler delivered a RBI single through a drawn-in infield. That was plenty of support for Detwiler. The UConn commit allowed three unearned runs on four hits over six innings. He struck out two and walked one. Detwiler tossed a complete game four-hitter when the Mustangs beat the Bulldogs 1-0 on April 2nd. A RBI infield single by Jenkins in the 5th gave Gov. Mifflin an 8-1 advantage. Wilson got a pair of runs in the 6th to pull within 8-3. Alex Ernesto knocked in one with a groundout to shortstop and Cole Lavin followed with a RBI single to center. The Mustangs responded with six runs off sophomore Ben Shaub in the 7th. Ethan Grim hammered a two-run double to left-center and Koehler drilled a two-run homer to left. Gov. Mifflin piled up 17 hits, while the Bulldogs were held to four singles. Snyder (1-2) allowed eight runs, six earned, on nine hits in 4.1 innings. He walked four and struck out one. Detwiler, Jenkins, and Koehler had three hits apiece. Adams, Grim, Barrett, and Joe Murray each added two hits. RJ Weaver pitched a clean 7th for the Mustangs with a pair of strikeouts. They’re #1 in the District 3-6A power rankings. Gov. Mifflin won the Class 5A state title last season. “I think it’s gonna be a pretty good challenge. [There are] a lot of good teams in 6A, a little different than 5A,” replied Adams. The Mustangs will wrap up the regular season against Daniel Boone and Reading. The BCIAA playoffs begin on Thursday, May 8th. Gov. Mifflin showed once again why it will be a very tough out.

Chris Hole-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Sat, 26 Apr 2025 15:05:12 +0000

Gov. Mifflin and Hempfield squared off in a battle of defending state champions on Friday night. If that wasn’t enough, both teams were undefeated and it was Hall of Fame night in Shillington. “I don’t think we’ve ever been part of a bigger regular season game, definitely an intriguing matchup,” said Mustangs’ head coach Chris Hole. Camden Hulock drilled a 3-run homer to left in the 9th and the Black Knights held on for a thrilling 3-2 victory. Gov. Mifflin left 13 runners on base. “We just didn’t capitalize and that’s baseball,” noted Hole. Ethan Grim put on a show for the MLB scouts in attendance. The hard-throwing Virginia Tech commit struck out the first five batters he faced. Grim finished with 14 strikeouts and one walk over seven innings. The 6’1, 195-pound righty only allowed one hit. “He’s incredible, just incredible. He threw every pitch that Travis [Jenkins] called beautifully. He had his slider working, his change, his curve. He kept a fantastic hitting team off-balance,” emphasized Hole. Hempfield entered the contest with a .344 team batting average. Grim has piled up a staggering 56 strikeouts in 28 innings this season. Brody Gebhard (2-0, 0.61) was also outstanding on the mound. The senior limited the (16-1) Mustangs to three hits over six frames. He struck out five, walked two, and hit two batters. Gebhard is no stranger to big games. He went the distance in the PIAA-6A Championship last year. The Black Knights defeated La Salle College High School 3-2 for their first state title. Gov. Mifflin also earned its first state championship a season ago. The Mustangs beat Hollidaysburg 2-1 in the PIAA-5A Final. Gov. Mifflin had men on second and third with one out in the 3rd when Grim hit a grounder to third base. Dylan Jackson knocked the ball down and threw out Bryce Detwiler at the plate. Hempfield catcher Josh Toole, a Coastal Carolina commit, was shaken up, but stayed in the game. Matt Koehler grounded out to first base to end the threat. Southpaw Jonathan O’Maille (4-0, 0.88) took over for Gebhard after the 6th. Billy Angstadt and Dylan Barrett provided back-to-back singles with one out in the 7th. O’Maille got two pop outs to keep it scoreless. The Mustangs loaded the bases with two outs in the 8th. O’Maille struck out Angstadt to keep the (14-0) Black Knights in it. In the top of the 9th, Brayden Hostetter and Toole drew walks from Jenkins with two outs. Hulock then ripped a 3-run shot to left field. It was only the second hit all night for Hempfield. Jenkins had four strikeouts and two walks over the final two innings. Gov. Mifflin added to the drama in the bottom of the 9th. The Mustangs loaded the bases with one out. Jenkins hit a RBI groundout to second for their first run. After Grim was intentionally walked to load the bases, Koehler drew a walk to make it 3-2. Designated hitter Cam Zurawski struck out to end the marathon. “So proud of our boys, the way that they battled to the very end. Credit to Hempfield as well…two great teams going at it and couldn’t ask for more,” stated Hole. O’Maille gave up two runs on four hits and five walks in three innings. He struck out four and picked up the win in relief. Detwiler, a UConn commit, delivered three of Gov. Mifflin’s seven hits. “He stays very balanced up there. He doesn’t try to do too much. He’s a lot like Tyler Minick. He recognizes what pitchers are going to do to him,” explained Hole. Minick is having a big season at UConn. He leads the team with 14 HR, 47 RBI, and a .364 batting average. Koehler went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks. Barrett was 1-for-3 and reached base twice. The Mustangs travel to rival Wilson on Monday afternoon. “It’s Wilson, they’ll be focused,” replied Hole. Ed Williamson, Dan Batz, Steve Murray, and current assistant coach Kurt Henry were recognized on the field before Friday’s game. They make up the inaugural class of the Gov. Mifflin Baseball Hall of Fame.

Travis Jenkins-Gov. Mifflin

Paul Roberts — Sun, 20 Apr 2025 12:33:07 +0000

Travis Jenkins is known for his work behind the plate. On Saturday, the All-State catcher was needed on the mound and he delivered. The Canisius commit fired four hitless innings of relief as Gov. Mifflin held off Twin Valley 9-5 in eight innings. “If I have to pitch, I’ll pitch but catching is more my thing,” said Jenkins. He also came through offensively with a two-out, two-run single to left field in the top of the 8th. “I was trying to stay back. I was getting pull happy so just try to stay back,” he explained. Jenkins is a right-handed pitcher, but a lefty hitter. He was 1-for-3 with two walks and picked up the 100th RBI of his career. The (15-0) Mustangs put two runs on the scoreboard in the 1st inning at Elverson. Branson Adams drove in Bryce Detwiler with a double to left-center. Adams then scored on a wild pitch by Nolan Cromwell. The senior was making his first appearance of the season. He allowed four runs, three earned, over four innings. Cromwell gave up three hits and walked four. The (6-5) Raiders got one run back in the bottom of the 1st. Grant Moser, who reached on an error, was thrown out at home on Brody Majeski’s double to left-center. Majeski, one of three sophomores in the lineup, scored on an infield single by Logan Crunkleton. The senior first baseman entered the day with a .355 batting average and a team-high five doubles. Matt Koehler made it 3-1 in the 4th with a solo homer to center field. “He was due. He’s been getting robbed a lot, not finding holes. I’m proud of him,” replied Jenkins. Koehler, who’s committed to Juniata, went 2-for-5 with a double. Twin Valley went in front 4-3 with three runs in the bottom of the 4th. “They’re a really good team. They really battled,” stated Jenkins. After an RBI groundout by Kooper Zdimal with the bases loaded, Moser provided a two-run single to left field. Gov. Mifflin coach Chris Hole, who reached 200 career wins early this season, decided to use junior Joe Murray as a pinch-hitter in the 5th. In just his second at-bat of the year, the left-handed hitting Murray ripped a solo home run to right field. That ended Cromwell’s afternoon and tied it at 4-4. Southpaw Nate Sedgwick walked Detwiler and Jenkins before Ethan Grim smashed a RBI single to left. Grim, one of the top pitchers in the state, is headed to Virginia Tech. He was 2-for-5 with 3 RBI. Jenkins took over on the mound for Evan Glucksnis with two men on and nobody out in the bottom of the 5th. Glucksnis, a junior righty, was charged with five runs on nine hits and two walks. He struck out three in four frames. Nate DiRocco evened the game at 5-5 with a RBI groundout to second in the 5th. DiRocco and Majeski, both sophomores, had two hits apiece. Junior designated hitter Cam Zurawski led off the 8th with a walk. Lefty Jayce Oliver, another sophomore, then hit Billy Angstadt. After Murray got down a sacrifice bunt, the Raiders intentionally walked Detwiler to load the bases. The UConn commit finished with a single, three walks, three runs, and four stolen bases. “Teams like to pitch around him. No matter what, he finds a way on. He keeps his head up,” noted Jenkins. Oliver struck out Adams for the second out of the inning. Jenkins broke the tie with a clutch opposite field single to left. Grim followed with a long two-run single that hit the left field fence. Oliver permitted four runs on three hits in 2.1 innings. Jenkins got a pair of strikeouts and a pop-up to shortstop in the bottom of the 8th. He threw 45 pitches in just his second appearance of the season. The unbeaten Mustangs finished with eight hits and the Raiders ended up with nine. Gov. Mifflin drew eight walks. “We know we’re (15-0), but we haven’t won anything yet. We just go to practice, work hard, and have fun,” said Jenkins.