The top pitchers on both teams, Cole Moody and Lucas Campbell, were unavailable on Thursday night after throwing in the first round of the PIAA-6A tournament. Moody finished the year (11-0) with nine complete games for Muhlenberg. Campbell is (9-0) with a 1.13 ERA and 71 strikeouts. The York College commit has established a school record with 68.1 innings this spring. Head coach Alex Condello gave the ball to senior Adam Stahl. Kopetsky turned to John Martin. The 6’2 sophomore made just his third start of the season due to back issues. Martin limited Owen J. Roberts to two runs on four hits over four innings. He struck out three and walked none. Stahl gave up two runs on four hits in three frames. He had three strikeouts and a pair of walks.

Cooper Burr opened the contest with a triple that deflected off the glove of center fielder Ryan Hatt. After Marvin Frias walked, Gavin Moody singled through the left side to put the Muhls on the board first. Cole Moody, Gavin’s twin brother, then hit a fly ball to shallow center. Right fielder Gavin Winnick came over to make the catch, but collided with Hatt. That miscue in communication allowed Frias to tag up and score from third base.

Muhlenberg had an opportunity to expand its lead in the top of the second. Martin ripped a one-out double to right-center and Aidan Bonte walked. However, Cooper Burr hit a pop-up to first base with runners on second and third to end the threat. Campbell began the bottom of the third with a double. AJ Murray, the No. 9 hitter, delivered a RBI single to center to make it 2-1. In the fourth, Nolan Fisher launched a solo homer to left field to even the score. The sophomore catcher went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI. Frias hit a one-out triple to left-center in the top of the fifth, but was stranded there. A pop-up to Fisher in foul territory by Gavin Moody was followed by a strikeout of Cole Moody by Owen Waltimyer.

Ryan Rosenberry took over on the mound for the Muhls in the fifth and immediately hit Winnick. Sophomore Mike Canfield then committed a costly error on Murray’s sacrifice bunt down the third base line. Rosenberry struck out the next two batters. Following a wild pitch, Muhlenberg opted to intentionally walk Stahl and load the bases. Stahl entered the game with a single-season school record 38 RBI and a .395 batting average. He has a team-high 13 extra-base hits including five homers. Waltimyer made the Muhls pay with a three-run triple to right. “You look at the scouting report and the kid has one hit to right field all year…He hit it just far enough over Carter Burr that it went for the triple,” explained Kopetsky. Fisher added a RBI single up the middle to give the Wildcats a 6-2 cushion. They tacked on one more run in the sixth with Cooper Burr on the hill. He walked Campbell and Winnick. After a sacrifice bunt by Murray, Albright commit Matt Smola flew out to right field. Campbell ventured too far down the third base line and got caught in a rundown. He managed to score on a very close play at the plate.

In addition to his pivotal triple, Waltimyer was outstanding in relief of Stahl. The junior righty fired four scoreless innings with four strikeouts and no walks. “Owen has come through all year for us in big spots. We have a lot of confidence in him on the mound and at the plate. We always know he’s gonna compete and give us a chance,” replied Condello. Waltimyer (4-0) has 62 strikeouts in 37 innings this season. Rosenberry took the loss. He was charged with four runs, all unearned, on two hits and a walk in one frame. Each team ended up with six hits and one error. Cooper Burr was 2-for-4 with a double and a triple. He will continue his career at Penn State Schuylkill, along with Gavin Moody.

Kopetsky noted that the highlight of the spring was their first District 3 title in 18 years. The eleventh-seeded Muhls defeated Chambersburg 10-0 in six innings at Penn Medicine Park. “The fact that these guys were cast into this underdog role; they absolutely took it 100 percent. They lived it, they became it, they were it,” emphasized Kopetsky. He added, “I said you have nothing to be ashamed of. Their legacy is a team that kind of came out of nowhere. It’s pretty amazing,” remarked Kopetsky.

The (20-4) Fords were making their first appearance in the PIAA playoffs after finishing sixth in the District 1 tournament. They’ve been without standout first baseman Cam McCormack for most of the season due to a torn meniscus. The 6’2, 205-pound junior is already committed to Pittsburgh. Haverford got on the board in the top of the first against Muhlenberg ace Cole Moody. The 6’3, 215-pound senior entered Monday with a (10-0) record and a sparkling 0.90 ERA. After Jimmy Boyle led off with a single, Durkan ripped a RBI triple to right-center. Moody then picked Durkan off third base which cost the Fords a run because Sam Sturman singled two batters later. Moody, who tossed a three-hitter in the District 3-6A Championship against Chambersburg, allowed three hits in the first frame. “To be honest with you, I don’t think he had a good slider tonight. He was struggling to throw that pitch in situations where he likes to throw it, but he’s a gamer. He reads the opponents’ hitters really well,” explained Kopetsky.

The Muhls responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the first. Boyle, a Thomas Jefferson University commit, hit leadoff batter Cooper Burr and walked Gavin Moody. Muhlenberg had runners on the corners with one out for Cole Moody. His squeeze bunt went right back to Boyle who flipped the ball to Durkan and Burr was called out at the plate on a close play. After Liam Vargas walked, sophomore Mike Canfield hit a hard ground ball past second baseman Andrew Brown which resulted in two runs. The Muhls’ scorekeeper ruled it a hit for Canfield. Neither team scored after that adventurous first inning.

Moody and Boyle both settled in nicely after their struggles in the first frame. Moody, who’s headed to Northampton Community College, had seven strikeouts and one walk over 6.1 innings. He had to come out after reaching the limit of 105 pitches. “Cole is phenomenal. We have full faith in him,” replied Carter Burr. Moody allowed seven hits. He struck out the final three batters he faced. Moody has 95 strikeouts in 76.1 innings this year. Boyle went the distance for the Fords. He finished with seven strikeouts and two walks. “He’s a very good pitcher. He has good velocity and he has a good slider that he starts at your front hip. He threw a heck of a ball game,” acknowledged Carter Burr. Boyle limited Muhlenberg to three hits.

Haverford loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, but failed to score. Moody struck out Bobby Menear and got Boyle to ground out to second. The Fords threatened again in the fifth when Sturman hit a two-out double to left. He was stranded, however, as Owen Klick flew out to deep left field. Rosenberry walked the first batter he faced in the top of the seventh. A wild pitch advanced the potential tying run to second base with one out. Carter Burr then provided the defensive play of the night. “I took a deep breath before that play. I knew I had to keep the throw low and give my catcher a chance,” he said. Haverford left eight men on base.

After splitting their first fourteen games of the season, the Muhls have won eleven of their past twelve contests. They will face District 1 runner-up Owen J. Roberts on Thursday in the PIAA-6A quarterfinals. “All along we’ve been the underdogs. The team that can’t, the team that won’t, the team that shouldn’t, and the team that keeps doing it. I’m gonna tell you right now everybody is picking Owen J. Roberts. There’s no doubt about it,” stated Kopetsky.

The (17-8) Muhls won the District 3-6A championship on Monday. They rolled over Chambersburg 10-0 in six innings. It’s the first District 3 title for Muhlenberg since 2008 and the fourth overall. The Muhls have been led by senior righty Cole Moody. The All-County selection and Northampton Community College commit is (10-0) this year with nine complete games.

Muhlenberg will host Haverford at 7pm on Monday in the first round of the state playoffs. The Fords won the Central League and finished in sixth place in the District 1 tournament. Cam McCormack, a Pittsburgh commit, has missed most of the season after suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee. The 6’2, 205-pound junior is ranked #14 in the country among first basemen in the Class of 2027 by Perfect Game. Senior southpaw Lucas Rothstein will continue his career at West Chester, while righty Jimmy Boyle is headed to Thomas Jefferson University. The winner of the game in Laureldale will play either Owen J. Roberts or Stroudsburg in the quarterfinals.

Exeter’s lone run came in the bottom of the first. Jake Franek walked and stole second base. The speedy shortstop advanced to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch. Liam Porter cruised through the first three innings. The senior entered the day with a perfect (5-0) mark and a pristine 0.64 ERA. He piled up six strikeouts through three frames. Porter walked Brandon Bechtel to begin the fourth inning. Ashton Parks followed with a bunt down the first base line. Jake Hafer’s throw to first hit Parks and bounced away which put runners on the corners. Sophomore Luke Husser lofted a sacrifice fly to right field that brought home Bechtel and evened the score at 1-1.

Porter issued one-out walks to Cooper Frey and Evan Allison, the No. 8 and 9 batters, in the fifth inning. Mason Goodhart took over on the mound for the Eagles. His wild pitch moved the runners to second and third base. The go-ahead run came with some confusion when Bechtel hit a fly ball to deep left field. Hafer, who had moved from first base to left, made a great sliding catch on the warning track. Brady Myers scored on the play, but Exeter appealed that he left too soon. “When we appealed at third base, the third base umpire called him out. The home plate umpire told us it was his call and he had him safe. The third base umpire was signaling an out for the catch, not for the appeal,” explained Freese. “It was a close play. One of our assistants did think that he was a little early. I just watched Jake make a hell of a catch. Unfortunately, the call didn’t go our way. That was the game-winning run, but offensively we didn’t do our job,” added Freese.

In the sixth, Hafer was hit by a pitch with one out. Wonder exited after 90 pitches and was replaced by Husser. Hafer, an East Stroudsburg commit, got caught stealing for the second out of the inning. Franek then singled, but he was picked off first base by Husser. Both catchers, Frey and Brandon Weller, threw out two runners.

Husser got a groundout and a pair of strikeouts in the bottom of the seventh. He allowed one hit in 1.2 innings with no walks. Wonder and Myers had the only hits for Spring Grove. The (12-9) Rockets are going to the District 3-5A quarterfinals after starting the season (1-5). They visit #2 seed Lower Dauphin on Monday. Porter took the loss despite racking up eight strikeouts in 4.1 innings. He was charged with two runs on four walks and one hit. Goodhart tossed 2.2 innings of scoreless relief with three strikeouts and no walks. Exeter will need to revamp its pitching staff next spring. Porter, Goodhart, Hafer, and Kamren Martin are all graduating.

In Friday’s other action, #9 seed Twin Valley fell at #8 New Oxford 5-0. In Class 6A, #11 seed Muhlenberg upset #6 Manheim Township 6-3. Cole Moody fired a complete game with six strikeouts and one walk. He improved to (8-0) this season. The (14-8) Muhls scored six times in the third inning. All of those runs were unearned. The (17-7) Blue Streaks committed seven errors. The Lancaster-Lebanon League champions got knocked out in the first round. Marvin Frias went 3-for-4 for Muhlenberg. He drove in two runs and scored another. The Muhls travel to #3 Waynesboro on Monday. #13 seed Northeastern stunned #4 Wilson 3-1 at Owls Field in West Lawn. The Bulldogs finish with a mark of (17-7). They won their 14th Berks County Championship this year.

The District 3 tournament begins this Friday. Here are the matchups involving local teams in each classification.

Class 6A:

#13 Northeastern vs. #4 Wilson at 7pm on Friday, May 15th. That first round game will be played at Owls Field in West Lawn.

#11 Muhlenberg at #6 Manheim Township at 4:30pm on Friday, May 15th.

Class 5A:

#10 Spring Grove at #7 Exeter at 4pm on Friday, May 15th.

#9 Twin Valley at #8 New Oxford at 4:30pm on Friday, May 15th.

Class 4A:

#6 Oley Valley at #3 East Pennsboro at 4:30pm on Monday, May 18th.

Class 3A:

#6 Pequea Valley at #3 Berks Catholic at 4:30pm on Monday, May 18th.

#5 Wyomissing at #4 Kutztown at 6:30pm on Monday, May 18th.

Class A:

#6 Fairfield at #3 High Point Baptist at 4:30pm on Friday, May 15th.

Class 6A (14 teams qualify)

8. Wilson

13. Muhlenberg

14. Gov. Mifflin

19. Reading

Class 5A (14 teams qualify)

7. Exeter

13. Twin Valley

14. Daniel Boone

28. Conrad Weiser

Class 4A (8 teams qualify)

7. Oley Valley

10. Hamburg

11. Fleetwood

14. Schuylkill Valley

17. Tulpehocken

Class 3A (6 teams qualify)

3. Berks Catholic

4. Kutztown

6. Wyomissing

14. Brandywine Heights

Class 2A (4 teams qualify)

6. Antietam

Class 6A:

The Wilson boys fell at New Castle 68-38. The Bulldogs finished (17-11).

The Wilson girls defeated Conestoga 59-46 in West Lawn.

The Gov. Mifflin girls battled District 7 champion Canon-McMillan down to the wire, but the (18-9) Mustangs came up short 48-46.

Class 5A:

Exeter ran into a buzz saw at Chartiers Valley. The Colts went 15-of-28 from 3-point range. The (18-11) Eagles lost 66-42.

Class 4A:

Berks Catholic was upset by Carver High School of Engineering & Science 40-35 at Lloyd Wolf Gymnasium. The Saints end their season at (25-3).

Schuylkill Valley got tripped up by District 2 champion Scranton Prep 65-48. The (16-11) Panthers made their third appearance in the PIAA playoffs.

Wyomissing fell to Archbishop Carroll from the Philadelphia Catholic League 77-52. The Spartans finished (16-11).

Berks Catholic came out hot on Friday with four 3-pointers in the opening quarter. Kingston McKoy and Carmelo Harper hit back-to-back triples to put the Saints in front 16-10. Fareed Brown, a first team selection in the Public League, picked up two fouls in the first quarter and didn’t play the rest of the half. The 5’9 senior guard averages a team-high 13 points and four assists. Matt McField, another first team pick in the Public League, stepped up with Brown on the bench. The 6’ senior guard scored eight points in the first eight minutes and drilled two treys. However, the Engineers trailed 16-12 entering the second period.

Oye “Junior” Guilavogui splashed a 3-pointer from the right corner to make it 20-14. That was the only shot Berks Catholic made in the entire quarter. Carver E&S struggled on the offensive end as well. The Engineers outscored the Saints 6-4 in the period to pull within 20-18 at halftime. Brown connected on a jumper to begin the third quarter. A spin move by McKoy gave the Saints a 30-24 cushion with 2:20 left in the quarter. Berks Catholic was limited to five points over the final ten minutes. Samir Roberts-Mouzon came off the bench and nailed a triple from the right wing at the buzzer. His only field goal of the contest evened things up at 30-30.

A layup by Brown started the fourth quarter. His three-point play with 6:42 to go put Carver E&S on top 35-31. McKoy, a Colgate commit, threw down a breakaway dunk with just under four minutes left. That was the only shot the Saints made in the last quarter. Sahin Rodriguez, a 6’3 senior forward, went to work in the low post with 2:45 on the clock. His bucket provided the Engineers with a 37-33 edge. McKoy connected twice from the free throw line to make it 38-35 with 2:03 remaining. Roberts-Mouzon missed a pair of foul shots with 48 seconds to play. Carver E&S committed a turnover with 29 seconds left, but Berks Catholic didn’t take advantage. McKoy got trapped in the left corner which led to a steal by the Engineers. McField finished off a 2-on-1 fast break to ice it with four seconds on the clock.

The Saints were held 24 points below their season average of 59 ppg. “They really doubled Kingston. When we had some guys that were open, we just didn’t hit the shot,” explained Esterly. Berks Catholic connected seven times from long range, but just twice after halftime. Carver E&S made three 3-pointers and went 11-for-15 from the foul line. The Saints were 4-for-6 from the stripe. McKoy poured in a game-high 19 points. The two-time All-State guard wrapped up an outstanding career with 1,679 points. McKoy averaged 22 ppg. this year. Harper, a 6’1 sophomore, chipped in with nine points and Johnny Giesa had four. McField led the (21-6) Engineers with 14 points. Rodriguez added nine points and Brown had seven in limited minutes due to early foul trouble.

Berks Catholic ends its campaign with a mark of (25-3). The Saints, who reached the state final a season ago, saw their 19-game winning streak come to a halt. They did bring home BCIAA and District 3-4A championships this winter. “I’m so proud of them, the way they developed over the last two years. We just came up short tonight,” replied Esterly.

Here are the first round matchups.

Boys:

Class 6A-Wilson at New Castle at 1pm on March 7th.

Class 5A-Exeter at Chartiers Valley at 6pm on March 6th.

Class 4A-Carver High School of Engineering and Science at Berks Catholic at 6pm on March 6th.

Schuylkill Valley at Scranton Prep at 7pm on March 6th.

Wyomissing at Archbishop Carroll at 7pm on March 6th.

Girls:

Class 6A-Conestoga at Wilson at 7pm on March 6th.

Gov. Mifflin at Canon-McMillan at 6pm on March 6th.

Class 6A (16 teams qualify)

3. Muhlenberg

4. Reading

8. Wilson

20. Gov. Mifflin

Class 5A (16 teams qualify)

11. Exeter

19. Daniel Boone

20. Fleetwood

23. Conrad Weiser

31. Twin Valley

Class 4A (8 teams qualify)

1. Berks Catholic

4. Wyomissing

6. Schuylkill Valley

8. Oley Valley

13. Tulpehocken

16. Hamburg

Class 3A (6 teams qualify)

3. Antietam

6. Brandywine Heights

7. Kutztown