Berks Sports Report Paul Roberts
All good things must come to an end. Muhlenberg’s remarkable run from (7-7) to a District 3 championship was derailed by Owen J. Roberts at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Wildcats used a four-run fifth inning to knock off the Muhls 7-2 in the PIAA-6A quarterfinals. “They put the program back on the map at the highest level. The seniors [did] an amazing job leadership-wise. Your heart goes out to them because you know the blood, sweat and tears that they put out on the field every day,” said head coach Brian Kopetsky. He completed his 27th season at the helm in Muhlenberg. The (18-9) Muhls reached the state quarterfinals for the first time since 2008. Meanwhile, Owen J. Roberts advanced to the state semifinals for just the second time in school history. The (22-5) Wildcats will face District 7 champion Butler on Monday.
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.
