District 3 baseball: Muhlenberg finishes off historic run with mercy rule win for 6A championship
· Yahoo Sports
Muhlenberg capped its historic run in the District 3 Class 6A baseball tournament with an emphatic victory in the championhips game on Monday.
The 11th-seeded Muhls defeated fifth-seeded Chambersburg 10-0 in six innings at Penn Medicine Park in Lancaster to capture the 6A title.
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After suffering a 10-0 loss to Wilson in the BCIAA championship earlier this month, Muhlenberg responded with an unlikely postseason run as Muhls claimed their fourth district title, and first since 2008, snapping an 18-year championship drought.
Muhlenberg defeated the sixth seed (Manheim Township), third seed (Waynesboro), second seed (Ephrtata) and fifth seed (Chambersburg) in their four district wins.
Muhlenberg ace Cole Moody, who remained undefeated all season, was as dominant as advertised. The senior tossed a three-hit complete-game shutout, overpowering the fifth-seeded Trojans (17-7).
For Chambersburg, Brady Truett got the start on the mound but was pulled after just 1.1 innings after allowing four earned runs in the second inning.
The Muhls (17-8) got the offense rolling early with a sacrifice fly from John Martin that scored Liam Vargas.
Truett struggled with his command, issuing four walks during his short outing, which allowed Muhlenberg to eventually load the bases.
Cooper Burr then delivered a two-run single to left field before Truett exited the game. Hayden Lyons entered in relief in an attempt to limit the damage.
The left-hander allowed one more run in the inning as Marvin Frias drove in a run on a bunt, extending the Muhls’ lead to 4-0.
Muhlenberg managed just two hits in the inning, but the three walks proved costly as the Muhls capitalized offensively.
For Chambersburg, a program with 11 district championships, opportunities were difficult to come by offensively. Whenever the Trojans managed to get runners on base, Moody shut the door and prevented any true damage throughout the game.
In the fourth inning, the Moody brothers, Gavin and Cole, each drove in a run with an RBI single and double, extending Muhlenberg’s lead to 6-0 as the Muhls continued to pull away.
Cole Moody, who was producing both at the plate and on the mound, continued to retire Trojan hitters one after another.
Michael Canfield joined the offensive surge in the fifth inning, driving in a run on a groundout to extend the lead even further.
As the game moved along, the 10-run mercy rule began looming over Chambersburg, which desperately needed to generate some offense to stay alive.
But the trend continued as Chambersburg still could not solve Moody at the plate or on the mound.
In the sixth inning, Cole Moody drove in another run with a single up the middle before Vargas and Canfield each added RBIs to push the Muhls into double digits.
With their backs against the wall and just three outs remaining to at least erase the shutout, the Trojans could not spark any type of late miracle. Moody sealed the victory by forceing an infield pop-up for the final out before Muhlenberg erupted into celebration.
Muhlenberg’s season will continue in the PIAA Class 6A state playoffs on Monday, June 1st, with the opponent, time, and location still to be determined.