Haddonfield beats Collingswood in Group 2 baseball

Mike McLaughlin said Haddonfield's record wasn't 9-15 when the Bulldogs took the field for Monday's playoff opener.

"We were 0-0, just like everybody else," said McLaughlin, Haddonfield's junior leftfielder.

Taking full advantage of the fresh start of the state tournament, Haddonfield rapped 15 hits and scored a 13-5 victory over Colonial Conference rival Collingswood in South Jersey Group 2 action.

McLaughlin was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and his 100th career hit, and Mike DeFeo and Mark Ostbye each collected three hits as eighth-seeded Haddonfield (10-15) advanced to face top-seeded Buena in Friday's second round.

Bill Kistner generated two hits and two RBIs and made a leaping catch in center field for ninth-seeded Collingswood (10-11).

"We needed this fresh start," Haddonfield coach Bob Bickel said. "We dug ourselves a hole early and we didn't have a lot to play before as far as the division title or qualifying for the Diamond [Classic].

"But we hung with Audubon [a 4-3 loss] on Friday and we told the kids, 'If we can play with them, we can play with anybody.' "

Haddonfield had lost eight of nine. But the Bulldogs broke the game open with an eight-spot in the fourth inning, as Ostbye, Jake Thorndike and Matt Jones delivered RBI singles and McLaughlin slashed a single to right for his 100th career hit.

"It's a great accomplishment," McLaughlin said. "But I still have a lot of baseball left to play, all of next year and still some this year also.

"We feel like we can compete with anybody in Group 2 if we put it together."

Collingswood 000 320 0 - 5 7 2

Haddonfield 014 800 x - 13 15 2

WP: Carter Fichter. LP: Lucas Rollins.

2B: C-Lucas Rollins, Bill Kistner; H-Mike McLaughlin.