Marc Narducci: Another comeback win for Moorestown baseball

It started on opening day and really hasn't stopped since for Moorestown's baseball team. This season has featured a series of madcap comebacks by a team that often refuses to lose and then makes it interesting on the way to winning.

The latest example came yesterday in nothing short of a must-win situation. Trailing, 6-2, entering the top of the sixth inning, Moorestown scored five runs and added two in the seventh for a 9-6 comeback win over Northern Burlington, keeping its Burlington County Liberty Division hopes alive.

Moorestown is 8-5 overall and 3-2 in the Liberty Division. Northern Burlco (5-6 overall) came in with a 3-0 division record, which included an earlier 3-0 win over Moorestown. Another loss would have left the Quakers in a huge hole, especially since there are only eight division games.

As it is, Rancocas Valley, which entered yesterday unbeaten in the Liberty, including a 6-3 win over Moorestown, is still in the driver's seat, while Northern Burlington remains in contention.

Moorestown has one game remaining with Rancocas Valley. Northern Burlington has yet to play the Red Devils, so a lot can happen. As long as the Quakers have a pulse, it's hard to count them out.

Yesterday's comeback barely ranked in the top three for Moorestown this season.

"I think we feel like the Phillies, that we will always come back," said junior leftfielder Mike DiBlasio, whose two-run double in the sixth inning gave the Quakers a 7-6 lead. "We may not jump on the first pitcher, but we usually hang around, and we never think we're out of it."

That comes from staging some simply wild comebacks - the first on opening day. The Quakers trailed Cinnaminson, 6-1, before scoring six runs in the sixth inning and holding on for a 7-6 win.

Still, that was kids' stuff compared to a win over Burlington Township on April 30. Moorestown trailed, 6-0, entering its final at-bat in the bottom of the seventh. The Quakers scored seven runs in that inning for an improbable 7-6 win.

So veteran Moorestown coach Bill Donoghue can be excused if he has used up his allotment of antacid.

"This team has shown a lot of heart," Donoghue said. "I think with each comeback, they have gotten more confidence."

Donoghue has battled along with his team. He replaced three starters midway through the game, looking for the right combination. Donoghue has been doing that a lot this season.

Yesterday's winning pitcher was freshman righthander Andrew Lisa, who entered the game trailing, 4-2, to begin the bottom of the fourth and promptly served a two-run bomb to Buey Garofalo.

In the bottom of the seventh, Northern Burlington loaded the bases, but Lisa got a game-ending flyout to right field.

"I give Andrew a lot of credit for not getting rattled," Donoghue said.

Donoghue thought of taking his freshman out, but Lisa convinced him otherwise.

"I wanted to finish what I started," Lisa said. "I knew if I threw strikes that my defense would do the job."

Northern Burlington, which also received a two-run home run from Justin Howarth, was done in by five errors.

Coach Rick Doppler knew that Moorestown wouldn't go away easily.

"We didn't play good defense, but give Moorestown credit for showing so much fight," Doppler said.