On Thursday at Owl’s Field, No. 1 Gov. Mifflin took on No. 8 Kutztown in the quarterfinals round of the BCIAA playoffs.

The Mustangs earned a 10-2 win over the Cougars as they continued their dominant season.

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“They’re a good team. They put balls in play. We had to make some plays, and our defense held up well,” Mustangs coach Chris Hole said of the win. “We scratched some runs across in a couple of different innings and did enough to get the win today.”

The second game of the doubleheader at Owl’s, pitting No. 4 Fleetwood against No. 5 Exeter, was stopped because of rain and will likely continue on Saturday based on the forecast for Friday.

Evan Glucksnis took the mound for the Mustangs (20-1), while the opposing pitcher Colin Diehl handled starter duties.

Glucksnis got off to a fantastic start, retiring the side in the first inning.

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In the bottom of the first, Diehl walked leadoff hitter Bryce Detwiler to begin his outing.

Two batters later, Travis Jenkins hit a ground ball that drove Detwiler in for the first run of the game.

Then, in the bottom of the third inning, the Mustangs started to figure out some of Diehl’s pitches.

Reese Hohl started the inning with an infield single. Detwiler drew another walk, and an error at third base loaded the bases when Branson Adams hit a ball back to Diehl.

Gov. Mifflin’a Reese Hohl outruns Kutztown pitcher Colin Diehl for an infield hit that started the 4-run third inning in a 10-3 Mustang opening-round victory in the BCIAA playoffs over the Cougars on Thursday, May 8, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)

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That’s when Matt Koehler came to the plate and did what he’s done all season: drive in runs.

Koehler ripped a line drive to left-center field that cleared the bases as he made it safely to second.

“Lots of confidence in myself,” Koehler said, describing his approach at the plate. “I saw him the first time I got hit, but I just wanted to make sure I stayed back, didn’t get myself out, and put a good swing on it.”

“He’s been doing that for us all year,” Hole said of Koehler. “He bats in the middle of our lineup and obviously handles off-speed very well, and has just been an RBI machine for us out of that five spot. So, very pleased with his overall game.”

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In the fourth inning, the Cougars finally broke through and got on the scoreboard.

Colten Mathias and Chris Bergstrom hit back-to-back singles, and Ashton Dunn followed with a bunt that loaded the bases with only one out.

Six-hole hitter Elliot Knutsten stepped up and made the most of his opportunity, driving in a run with a base hit.

However, with a chance to get back into the game, Glucksnis quickly shut the door on the Cougars. He struck out the next batter and then got Zane Cherrie to ground into a 4-3 play.

“I’ve seen that confidence grow throughout the year. Evan, out there, has been a wolf for us, and wants the ball in key situations,” Hole said of his pitcher. “He was up to 90-some pitches and still wanted to go back out for the seventh, so we had to shut that down. But that just speaks to how much of a gamer he is.”

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In the bottom of the inning, the bats continued for the Mustangs.

Gov. Mifflin’s Evan Glucksnis pitches six innings against Kutztown in a 10-3 Mustang opening-round victory in the BCIAA playoffs over the Cougars on Thursday, May 8, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)

With two outs, Adams had an RBI single to right field to strike again.

The Cougars, who committed five errors on the day, committed another.

Trailing 7-1 heading into the fifth inning, the Cougars managed to score another run after an overthrow during a rundown between first and second base.

However, Glucksnis worked his way out of the inning with his sixth of seven strikeouts on the day.

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“Evan did a great job limiting their big hits, but also our defense was really good,” Koehler said of the team’s defense. “We had one error on a miscue, but overall, we were confident and made plays behind Evan.”

The Mustangs added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth, thanks to a two-RBI single from Jenkins and a one-RBI single from Koehler.

RJ Weaver wrapped up the game in the seventh and retired the side in order, 3 up, 3 down.

For the Mustangs, Koehler finished the game batting 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Jenkins went 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

For the Cougars, Mathias and Knutsen each had two hits in the loss.

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The Mustangs will face the winner of the No. 4 Fleetwood vs. No. 5 Exeter game on Saturday at FirstEnergy Stadium, with the time to be determined.

“Have to take every opponent one game at a time,” Koehler said, looking towards the semifinals. “Doesn’t matter who we play. We just want to play our game and hopefully come out on top.”

Gov. Mifflin’s Bryce Detwiler is hit by the throw from Kutztown first baseman Colten Mathias during a rundown in a 10-3 Mustang opening-round victory in the BCIAA playoffs over the Cougars on Thursday, May 8, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)