Wilson secured the BCIAA baseball title with a commanding 10-0 victory over Muhlenberg in six innings Monday night at FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading. The win marked the top-seeded Bulldogs’ second 10-run shutout of the county playoffs, following their quarterfinal rout of eighth-seeded Kutztown.
“It feels good,” Bulldogs coach Bill Underwood said after the game. “When we start workouts in January, the goal is always to reach the championship and win it. We’ve had three games of solid pitching, and we knew Muhlenberg would be tough. Brian (Kopetsky) always has them prepared.”
Wilson’s Jack Gabel was the star, both on the mound and at the plate. He pitched a complete-game shutout, allowing just three hits, and added three hits himself, including a triple in the fifth inning. “Feeling great, man. This is exactly where we wanted to be, and it feels amazing to get it done, especially against Muhlenberg,” Gabel said. “I was confident coming in, even though my last few outings weren’t my best. I trusted my defense and stayed confident, and everything clicked today.”
For the third-seeded Muhls (13-8), the game started well. They hadn’t allowed a run in their first two playoff wins against Gov. Mifflin and Daniel Boone, but their streak ended Monday. Sophomore John Martin started and gave up two hits in two scoreless innings, but the third inning unraveled. With the game tied 0-0, Martin allowed back-to-back singles to Alex Frantz and Gabel before being pulled.
Junior Ryan Rosenberry inherited two runners but struggled. After a sacrifice bunt by Ryan Marmolejos resulted in a 3-5 putout, Rosenberry walked Patrick Lengle to load the bases. Ben Kulp then hit a ground ball to third base, where a throwing error by Mike Canfield allowed Wilson to take a 1-0 lead. Rosenberry followed with another walk and a balk. Designated hitter Matt Mallis drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, and Gabe Spohn delivered a two-run double down the third-base line to make it 5-0.
“We had timely hits, and that was key for us,” Underwood said of the third-inning outburst. “Getting five runs in the third puts their defense on their heels and gives our pitchers confidence.”
The 5-0 lead was plenty for Gabel, who continued to dominate. In the bottom of the fourth, he crushed a one-out triple to deep left-center field, showing raw emotion as he reached third. “On senior night, they beat us, and there’s always a lot of talking from them,” Gabel said. “So this game, we wanted revenge. A lot of emotion came out.”
Underwood acknowledged Gabel’s passion. “He’s a very fiery guy. We’ve worked all season on handling adversity and success with dignity. He knows the rivalry, and I had to coach him through it.”
In the sixth inning, Wilson sealed the 10-run mercy rule win. Landon Kostelac led off with a double and scored on a Gabel single. A sacrifice fly by Marmolejos made it 7-0, and Lengle drove in two more with a single. Spohn capped the inning with the final run against reliever Chase Kreider.
Underwood noted the Bulldogs overcame a slow start to the season, including defensive struggles, before an offensive surge led to a 12-game winning streak. “We have guys getting timely hits up and down the lineup. Opposing pitchers can’t take a day off—it’s great to have that depth.”
Both Wilson (17-6) and Muhlenberg advance to the District 3 Class 6A playoffs starting Friday, May 15. The Muhls were eliminated in the first round last year by Ephrata, a team that also ended Wilson’s season in the quarterfinals. Wilson last reached the district championship in 2023, falling to Cedar Crest.
