Muhls give Lynx, scoreboard, a workout in championship game

(This story will be updated with details, postgame reaction and photos later tonight.)

The hits never stopped coming for Muhlenberg.

There were 13 in a first-round win over Kutztown. Another 13 in the semifinals against Exeter. And 10 more in the Berks Baseball League championship game, an 11-3 win over Oley Valley Wednesday night at FirstEnergy Stadium.

There was intrigue before the game when it was learned that Lynx ace Luke Macdonald would be able to start the game; both he and head coach Scott Pinder were under the impression following Tuesday’s semifinal win over Wilson that he would be ineligible to come back after throwing 27 pitches.

Macdonald has been phenomenal this season, and gave the eighth-seeded Lynx (13-8) a legitimate chance to pull of a third straight upset.

Pinder, after the 8-6 comeback win over the Bulldogs, said it didn’t matter who he pitched; turns out he was right. The second-seeded Muhls (19-2) are hitting everyone these days. They faced nine different pitchers over the three-round tournament, had hits against each of them and scored on seven of them. In all, they scored 30 runs in three playoff games.

They wasted little time against Macdonald, as Cameron Burr led off the first with a single and Sean Levan was hit by a pitch. After a double steal, Burr scored on Luis Beato’s sacrifice fly. One out later Jacob Rodriguez poked an RBI single to left for a 2-0 lead.

Past championships
2021	Gov. Mifflin	5	Wilson	4
2019	Wilson	4	Hamburg	3
2018	Muhlenberg	3	Fleetwood	0
2017	Wilson	13	Twin Valley	4
2016	Gov. Mifflin	9	Exeter	0
2015	Gov. Mifflin	3	Daniel Boone	1
2014	Reading High	2	Berks Catholic	1
2013	Oley Valley	5	Kutztown	0
2012	Fleetwood	12	Gov. Mifflin	6
2011	Gov. Mifflin	3	Twin Valley	2
2010	Conrad Weiser	5	Twin Valley	4
2009	Gov. Mifflin	7	Oley Valley	2
2008	Gov. Mifflin	5	Schuylkill Valley	4

Macdonald, who allowed just two earned runs over 38 innings, was not his usual sharp self against the Muhls. He needed 20 pitches to get through his only inning and allowed two hits and two runs.

The Lynx didn’t have enough pitching left after Maddonald departed; most teams don’t against a deep Muhlenberg lineup that came into the game with four .400 hitters and an impressive .330 team average.

The Muhls scored in each of the first four innings, building leads of 7-0, 9-2 and 11-2.

Burr had two hits, two steals and scored three runs. Beato had three RBIs. Jacob Rodriguez singled, walked and drove in two runs. Shane Rosenberry went 2-for-2 with a walk; his courtesy runner, Jermickey Gumby, scored twice.

Brad Coley went the first five innings, striking out five, to get the win; Levan pitched the final two innings.

The championship was the second for Muhlenberg in four years; it also won the 2018 title, beating Fleetwood 3-0. It was the third county title Brian Kopetsky — two as a coach, one as a player. In 1981 he was the winning pitcher when the Muhls beat Oley Valley in the championship game at what was then called Municipal Memorial Stadium.

Muhlenberg will open play in the District 3 Class 5A Tournament May 23, as the No. 1 seed and with a game at Gochnauer Field.

Oley Valley will open play in the District 3 Class 3A Tournament May 26, as the No. 2 seed and with a game at Rentschler Field. The Lynx earned a first-round bye.