Wilson holds off Muhlenberg, heads to Berks baseball championship game (updated)
(This story will be updated later today with additional details and postgame reaction.)
Wilson got a strong outing from Nick Crocona and a three-hit day from Tommy Hunsicker to beat Muhlenberg 6-5 Saturday morning and make its way back to the BCIAA championship game.
The second-seeded Bulldogs (15-6) are back in the championship game for the third time in the last four tournaments; they last won it in 2019.
Wilson will face the winner of the second game between top-seeded Gov. Mifflin and fifth-seeded Fleetwood. The championship game is Monday at 6:05 at FirstEnergy Stadium. It will have its ace, Matt VanOstenbridge, ready to go in the title game.
Muhlenberg scored twice in the seventh to pull within a run, getting RBI singles from Gio Cavanna and Eli Keller.
The Bulldogs took charge with a four-run, bat-around fourth inning that saw Jordan Shutter and Hunsicker deliver RBI singles. Nick Crocona drew a bases-load walk and Mason Sensenig was hit by a pitch with the bases full.
Wilson pushed its lead to 6-3 in the fifth when Shutter delivered an RBI single, scoring Ryan Sekulski.
Crocona pitched six innings to improve to 5-0. He allowed seven hits but did not walk a batter. Two of the three runs charged against him were unearned.
Tommy Hunsicker went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored; Christo Hunsicker went 2-for-4, his first-inning double plating Tommy to tie it 1-1.
The Muhls (13-8) went up 1-0 in the first when Gio Cavanna reached on catcher’s intererence, stole second and scored when Eli Keller reached on an error.
Muhlenberg led 3-1 in the fourth after a two-run single by Kevin Rodriguez plated Shane Rosenberry and Sean Patton.
Muhlenberg will play again next week in the District 3 Class 5A Tournament.
| Muhlenberg | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 5 | 9 | 3 |
| Wilson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | x | – | 6 | 8 | 4 |
| Muhls | AB | R | H | RBI | Bulldogs | AB | R | H | RBI | |
| Burr, 2b | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | T. Hunsicker, 3b | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | |
| Cavanna, rf | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Gabaldon, 2b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Keller, ss | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | C. Hunsicker, 1b | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
| Rosenberry, c | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Sekulski, rf | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Wilson, 3b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Fiorini, lf | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Patton, dh | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Fernandez, cf | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| K. Rodriguez, 1b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | Shutter, c | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |
| Hatt, lf | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Ruiz, cr | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Lopez, cf | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Crocona, p | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Cipolla, ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Kulp, p | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Sensenig, dh | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
| Bilodeau, ss | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Totals | 29 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 25 | 6 | 8 | 6 |
E: Hatt, Lopez; Gabaldon, Fiorini, Shutter, Bilodeau. 2B: C Hunsicker. SB: Burr 2, Cavanna 2. CS: Cavanna; T. Hunsicker. LOB: Muhlenberg 4, Wilson 7. DP: Muhlenberg 1, Wilson 1.
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |||
| Smeltzer, L (1-1) | 3 1/3 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 4 | Crocona, W (5-0) | 6 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
| High | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Kulp, S | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| C. Moody | 2 2/3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
WP: B: Smeltzer. PB: Rosenberg 2. HBP: Fernandez (by Smeltzer), Sensenig (by High), Fernandez (by Moody), Gabaldon (by Moody).
