Kutztown knocks off Halifax to win sixth district baseball championship (updated)
(This story will be updated later tonight with additional details and postgame reaction.)
FREDERICKSBURG — Bryce Schafer pitched a complete game and homered as Kutztown won its sixth District 3 baseball championship with a 5-0 victory over top-seeded Halifax Thursday afternoon at Northern Lebanon’s Wenger Memorial Field.
The second-seeded Cougars (17-6) ran the bases aggressively and played error-free ball in the field as they steadily pulled away from the Wildcats (18-3-1).
Kutztown took the lead with a run in the second, went up 3-0 in the third, and two more in the sixth.
Schafer (5-2) didn’t allow a hit until the fourth and took a one-hitter into the sixth. He allowed a pair of hits and a run in the seventh before striking out the final batter.
Schafer was backed by solid defense and was helped out in the third when second baseman Dominick Pizzelanti made a nice stop and quick toss to second to begin an inning-ending doubleplay.
The Cougars worked a double steal to get their first run in the second, with Pizzelanti scoring from third when the throw went to second.
Kole Schuler’s RBI single scored Matt Remick in the second and Schafer followed with a homer that carried over the 320-foot sign down the right-field line.
Only Oley Valley, with eight, has won more district baseball titles than Kutztown.
| Kutztown | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 5 | 8 | 0 | |
| Halifax | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| Cougars | AB | R | H | RBI | Wildcats | AB | R | H | RBI | |
| Remick, ss | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | IMiller, lf | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Schuler, 3b | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | JMiller, 3b/ss | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Schafer, p | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Campbell, 1b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Furst, lf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Strohecker, ss/p | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Hugo, c | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Alvarez, rf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Pizzelanti, 2b | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | Schell, p/3b | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Hamm, dh | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | Bittner, dh | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Mathias, 1b | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Berry, ph | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Ott, cr | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Bechtel, c | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Diehl, rf | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Kline, cf | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Dunn, cf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Steinhauer, 2b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Gilbert, cr | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Totals | 29 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 25 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
E: Alvarez, Strohecker. 3B: Kline, Schell. HR: Schafer. SB: Remick 2, Hugo, Hamm, Pizzelanti. CS: Schuler. LOB: Kutztown 7, Halifax 5.
| IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K | |||
| Schaefer, W (5-2) | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | Schell, L (5-1) | 5 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 5 | |
| Strohecker | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
WP: Schell 2. B: Schafer. HBP: Diehl (by Schell), Remick (by Schell).
