Muhls start fast but can’t overcome powerful Titans in state opener

Muhlenberg knocked around Shaler ace Miguel Hugas and had some early opportunities but couldn’t take advantage and fell to the District 7 champion Titans 7-1 Monday in a PIAA Class 5A baseball opener at North Allegheny High School in Wexford.

The Muhls (16-10) had three straight hits in the first inning off Hugas, an Alabama recruit, and took a 1-0 lead. The rally was shortened when Eli Keller was thrown out at home trying to score from third on a grounder.

Muhlenberg collected six hits off Hugas in three innings, including an RBI double by Derek Wilson that plated the first run. Hugas was removed after throwing 55 pitches; he threw 26 pitches in the first.

“We basically knocked their No. 1 out of the game,” said Muhls coach Brian Kopetsky. “We were on him; everything we hit was hard. We wanted him and we had our shot at him.”

Muhlenberg ace Dalton Follweiler opened with two scoreless innings before the Titans (20-4) tied it in the third.

A throwing error by Follweiler, after fielding a bunt, opened things up in the fourth when Shaler scored four times to go up 5-1.

Follweiler (8-2), who leads Berks pitchers in wins, walked in a run in the fourth as the Titans snapped a 1-1 tie. Hugas followed with a three-run double.

“That made it tough,” Kopetsky said. “We had chances to get out of that inning.”

Muhlenberg out-hit Shaler 7-5 but was hurt by three errors, which led to three unearned runs. The Titans did not commit an error.

Shaler got a strong relief outing from Colby Weber, who allowed just one hit and one walk over four scoreless innings to pick up the win.

“We knew we were going into a hornet’s nest out there, playing against a team like them,” Kopetsky said.

Shaler advances to play Penn Trafford, an 8-5 winner Monday over Central Mountain.

Keller and Wilson each finished with two hits for the Muhls. Hugas finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs.

Follweiler was removed after four innings and 71 pitches. He gave up four hits, walked four and allowed five runs, four earned. It was the most runs he has allowed in an outing this season; he walked as many as four batters in just one other game.

Follweiler took his first loss in six weeks, since a 3-1 defeat against eventual Berks champ Gov. Mifflin. He had won five straight starts, including four in the postseason.

“Dalton pitched phenomenal for us all year,” Kopetsky said. “You look at his body of work all season – he put us on his back and carried us. Every game he pitched was against a district or state qualifier. He had no ‘gimmies.’ ”

Follweiler pitched a complete game in a 5-2 win over Shippensburg that clinched the fifth and final state berth in District 3 and sent the Muhls to the state tournament for the second time in three seasons and eighth time overall.

The Titans have allowed just 50 runs all season and have an average winning margin of nearly five runs per game. They have outscored their four playoff opponents 30-3.

Hugas, who could be taken in the upcoming MLB draft, pitched a complete game in the 10-1 win over Bethel Park in the district title game. He improved to 9-0 with an ERA below 1.00.

Despite the defeat and the four-plus hour bus ride to the game site – Muhlenberg left at 7:30 a.m. Monday for the 2 p.m. start – Kopetsky was pleased with the experience.

“This group of kids was just awesome,” he said. “For them to get his opportunity . . . it was great. Going into the season we knew it would be difficult. If you would’ve told us at the beginning of the season we’d have worked our way through all that and wound up going to states . . .”

The Muhls had to replace five starters, including All-Berks picks Luis Beato and Brad Coley, from their 2022 Berks League championship team.

“It’s always disappointing to lose and have your season end,” Kopetsky said, “but it was a really nice season all the way through. There’s going to be a lot of really special memories for them. What more could you ask for?”