Mifflin holds off Twin Valley; alone again at the top in Berks I
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Ethan Grim and Bryce Detwiler are a dangerous tag team.
The juniors helped Gov. Mifflin end the longest winning streak in the Berks League and add to its own streak Monday, beating Berks II champ Twin Valley 4-2 at Elverson to regain sole possession of first place in Berks I.
Detwiler started and finished things for the Mustangs (8-2 Berks I, 13-2) and Grim struck out nine as Mifflin snapped Twin Valley’s 10-game winning streak. The Raiders (8-1 Berks II, 12-4) hadn’t lost since an 11-2 defeat at Central Dauphin more than three weeks ago.
The Mustangs now sit alone atop Berks I after Wilson, which entered the day tied with Mifflin, lost 3-2 at Muhlenberg Monday. The Bulldogs and Muhls are tied for second place. All three teams have two league games remaining.
Detwiler led off the game with a double and scored to put Mifflin on top 1-0. He hit his league-leading fifth homer in Mifflin’s three-run third. He’s batting a league-best .562 with 26 RBIs in 15 games. Dylan Barrett hit a two-run double to make it 4-0.
Detwiler came on to pitch with two out and two on in the seventh after Grim allowed a run; he needed just two pitches to end the game on a groundout and earn his first save.
Grim went 6 2/3 innings to improve to 3-1. He allowed four hits, walked one, and surrendered two runs. He has now struck out 52 batters over 31 2/3 innings, allowing just 22 hits.
Branson Adams, Travis Jenkins, and Matt Koehler each had two hits for the Mustangs, who chased Twin Valley ace Owen Rhoads after four innings and finished with 10 hits.
Mifflin scored three times in the fourth to take a 4-0 lead. Grim lost his shutout in the fourth when Twin Valley cut it to 4-1.
Twin Valley clinched the Berks II title last week; it last won a division title in 2016.
The Mustangs can win their third straight division title by closing with a win Wednesday at Exeter and by beating Wilson at home Friday. If Muhlenberg wins out and the Bulldogs beat the Mustangs the teams would end up in a three-way tie for first place.
A three-way finish would favor Muhlenberg, which would win the tiebreaker. It is 2-0 vs. Wilson this year and split it’s two games vs. Mifflin.
Seeding for the Berks playoffs, however, is based on District 3 power ranking and Mifflin has the edge over Muhlenberg, Wilson, and Twin Valley at this point.
Twin Valley has been limited to two runs in each of its three losses, including an 18-2 loss to Perkiomen Valley in late March. It has scored four or more runs in each of its 12 victories.
The Raiders finished 10-10 last season and did not make the postseason.
