Luke Weller pitches Exeter into PIAA baseball tournament (updated)

All-Berks pick Luke Weller threw his first shutout of the season Friday afternoon as Exeter defeated visiting Red Land 2-0 to clinch a spot in the PIAA baseball tournament for the first time in nine years.

The fifth-seeded Eagles (18-7) won their second straight playoff game to finish fifth in the District 3 Class 5A Tournament.

They advance to the PIAA Tournament Monday to play the District 1 champ Upper Dublin (16-3), which defeated Strath Haven 3-2 Tuesday. They’ll play at 4 at Villanova Ballpark. The Eagles will have ace Deven Sheerin ready to go for that one.

The seventh-seeded Patriots end their season at 14-10.

Shortstop Carter Cordova, batting out of the No. 9 hole, scored both runs for Exeter.

The Eagles went ahead in the third inning when Cordova scored from third on a wild pitch.

The Eagles failed to extend that lead in the fourth when Alex Kelsey was thrown out at home on a squeeze bunt.

Red Land’s Evan Keefer doubled in the fifth but was thrown out at home trying to score on a single.

Exeter extended its lead to 2-0 in the fifth on Colin Payne’s RBI single, scoring Cordova, who had reached on an infield single. Payne had two of the Eagles’ three hits.

The Patriots threatened in the sixth when Cooper Artley and Kaden Peifer reached on infield singles but Weller escaped the jam.

Weller, the Eagles’ starting shortstop when he’s not on the mound, evened his record at 2-2 and lowered his ERA to 2.58. He allowed six hits, didn’t walk a batter and struck out seven, throwing 101 pitches.

Losing pitcher Brady Ebbert kept the Eagles hitless for the first four innings. Weller did not allow a hit until the fourth.

Upper Dublin was the No. 2 seed in the District 1 Tournament. It advanced with a 3-2 win over Bishop Shanahan and a 4-3 win over third-seeded Marple-Newtown. Top-seeded Chichester lost its quarterfinal opener 10-6 to West Chester East.

Sheerin, a junior right-hander, helped Exeter keep its season alive Tuesday, striking out 12 in a 9-3 elimination-game win over Gettysburg. Red Land advanced with a 4-3 win over Lampeter-Strasburg.

Second-seeded Manheim Central won the District 3 Class 5A title, beating fourth-seeded Ephrata 2-1 on Thursday.