By: Sean Moylan
If the word "controversial" had not already existed, it would have been invented by Bordentown American Legion baseball fans, amateur umpires and amateur scorekeepers in attendance at Monday night’s 6-5 loss to the Alpha Braves at Ewing’s Moody Park.
Mike Loffredo and Sal Garofalo led off the sixth inning with back-to back hits. Then Stevie Giambrone hit a one-out hard grounder, which was booted by the Alpha shortstop to load the bases for Bordentown. Andy Hoyer followed with a 390-foot drive to deep center, which Matthew Citro somehow tracked down. Loffredo alertly tagged up on third and scored. But Garofalo, thinking Hoyer’s blast was a sure double, didn’t tag up and was thrown out trying to get back to second base moments after the run had scored.
Initially, the home plate umpire called the play correctly and counted the run. But after a brief discussion with the first base umpire, the call was changed and the run was disallowed.
An online Major League rulebook gives the following example of the rule: "NOT a force out. One out. Runner on first and third. Batter flies out. Two out. (All forces are now removed) The runner on third tags up and scores. Runner on first tries to retouch before the throw from the fielder reaches first baseman, but does not get back in time and is out. Three outs. If, in the umpire’s judgment, the runner from third touched home before the ball was held at first base, the run counts."
In the rule book example the problem is created by people saying the third out came on a force play. That is not accurate. The runner had already established possession of first base, so he can no longer be forced out at that base. But he is still out because he needs to tag up before getting tagged out or doubled up at first via an appeal play. Or, as was the case Monday, the runner was simply tagged out between the bases.
Neil Cumming, who was filling in for Bordentown’s great manager Tom Dolan, who had successful heart surgery, argued mildly, but the umpire said it was the rule. By the time the Bordentown coaches were able to find the rule in the rule book, it was too late to appeal the game and the umpire’s decision. So instead of Bordentown being up 4-3, the score was knotted at 3-3.
"That play at second cost us a run," said Cumming, who thought Bordentown may have lost a couple of potential runs on controversial calls. Still, Bordentown had its chance to put the game in the books when it scored two runs in the top of the ninth to grab a 5-4 lead.
Down 4-3, Hoyer led off the frame with a line drive right to his nemesis in center (Citro) for an out. But Chuck Krichling, a professional hitter if there ever was one, cracked a single to left. After Matt Moceri struck out on a nasty off speed pitch for the second out, Bryan Henry smacked a hard single to keep the inning alive. Then Bordentown caught its first break of the game, when Matt Vereb’s smash down the first baseline ricocheted off the first base bag to drive in Krichling. A Braves player made a throwing error on the play, which enabled Henry to score the go-ahead run and Vereb to get to third.
"I tried to take it to right," noted Vereb. "I was just happy to put the ball in play and I was shortening up with strikes. I thought we definitely had the momentum."
Danny Agos started for Bordentown and tossed five plus strong innings (three runs allowed, two earned, five strikeouts) . But when Agos gave up a single to lead off the sixth, Cumming brought in Russ Stupienski, who got three huge outs (including a big strikeout) to keep Alpha off the scoreboard in the inning.
Bordentown ended the bottom of the seventh with a nifty 9-5-2 (Lou Barbieri to Krichling to Henry) play at the plate. While Stupienski picked off a runner and recorded another out in the frame by striking out Joe Dicecelia on a great off speed pitch, Alpha did plate a run to go-ahead 4-3.
Leading 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth, Stupienski allowed a leadoff seeing-eye single through the middle, fanned the next batter before surrendering a hit to give Alpha runners on the corners. Then Cumming brought in Giambrone, the MCALL saves leader. Giambrone gave up an RBI single which tied the game at 5-5, but then he induced the next batter to fly out to center for the second out. But Dicecelia, a one-man wrecking crew (double and a homer), launched a long single to plate the winning run.
"We wanted to see what Russ (Stupienski) could do. His curveball was working real well tonight," added Cumming, who felt Stupienski did a fine job of relief.
For the first time in two years, Bordentown did not score in double digits in a playoff game. Giambrone, who went 2-for-5 and hit the ball on the nose every time up, doubled to lead off the game. Then Moceri drove him in with a long two-out double to left, which nearly left the ball park. Following a Henry walk, Vereb singled in Bordentown’s second run of the inning. With two outs in the fifth, Krichling reached on an error, Moceri had a great at-bat to walk on a 3-2 pitch and Henry singled to put Bordentown ahead 3-2. But it was a see-saw game if there ever was one.
With one out in the seventh, Moceri appeared to beat out a groundball by a half step at first, but he was called out. But it was a bang-bang play. That call may have cost Bordentown a run because the next batter (Henry) doubled.
Earlier, an Alpha outfielder appeared to trap a ball which was called an out. But in defense of the umpire the outfield was extremely dark and you had to have just the right angle to see that play. Those two plays, however, were judgment calls that could have gone either way depending on who was calling the game. But the play at second was different because it was the wrong interpretation of a rule.
The game was a good learning experience for the team, however. Sometimes it’s not a bad idea to protest first and find out if you’re right later.
VS. CRESSKILL
In a way, John Harvey is a throwback, reminiscent of the Major League pitchers from the mid 60’s to the early 70’s. Because like Tom Seaver, Bob Gibson, Steve Carlton, Sandy Koufax and Juan Marichial before him, Bordentown Post 26’s John Harvey has a way of making baseball look easy.
He did so in a 10-1 win over Hightstown, which, two weeks ago, clinched Bordentown its first MCALL title since 1986. And he did it again on Saturday when he twirled a seven-inning complete game masterpiece in Bordentown Post 26’s 17-1 District 2 playoff win over Cresskill.
Other than in the sixth when he walked two batters and gave up a run, Harvey, who struck out six and allowed just three hits, two of which were infield hits, never seemed to be in any serious trouble. Bordentown needed that kind of dominance because it held just a 3-0 lead entering the top of the sixth.
"I just wanted to start throwing strikes," said Harvey, who always seemed to be ahead of hitters in the count. "Me and Bryan Henry (Bordentown’s catcher), we work well together."
Harvey’s curveball was especially effective and he used it to strike out the leadoff hitter in the first and the second. But this was a game which featured both great pitching and hitting by the winners.
Andy Hoyer, Bordentown’s two-hole hitter, has hit the ball extremely hard the entire season. But too often he’s hit shots right at opposing fielders for outs. So when he grounded out sharply to second for the second out of the first, it looked as though Hoyer’s luck was not going to change. But in the third, Hoyer sliced an opposite field single to left to plate Bordentown’s first two runs.
"I beared down and looked for something to drive, and he threw me a ball outside," said Hoyer, who bunted for a hit his next time at bat to set up a Chuck Krichling fifth-inning RBI.
Hoyer, who will play baseball for Camden County Community College next spring, crushed a double to center in a five-run sixth and he smoked a long RBI single to right in a nine-run seventh inning. "I just kept inside the ball," Hoyer noted.
Hoyer had been flying open on his swing, but his father Chris and Neil Cumming helped him to get his swing back. Hoyer also made a tremendous catch in center field and stole home with a head first slide.
Although Bordentown took a few innings to get going, Tom Dolan, Bordentown’s MCALL Manager of the Year, never doubted his club for a second.
"From the first at-bat Stevie Giambrone (2-for-5, including a RBI single in a nine-run seventh) had (a hard groundout to short), I knew we’d hit," said Dolan.
Mike Loffredo (2-for-3 with a double, a sacrifice bunt and a walk), Sal Garofalo (RBI single, steal, walk) and Lou Barbieri (walk, RBI single), the hitters at the bottom of Bordentown’s order did a good job of working up Cresskill’s starting pitcher, Nick Laraquente’s pitch count.
Bordentown’s bashers did the job as well. Krichling creamed a two-run double in the seventh inning. Matt Vereb was 2-for-3 with a run-scoring double and two walks. The word was out on MCALL MVP Matt Moceri and, consequently, he walked twice in the early frames. But in the seventh, he broke out with an opposite field two-run double. Catcher Bryan Henry also had a couple of seventh-inning hits. Bordentown had 17 hits in all. But it all started with a great pitching performance by MCALL Pitcher of the Year John Harvey, who wanted to pitch well for his manager Tom Dolan, who went on to have successful heart surgery this past Monday.
VS. POST 278
Matt Moceri threw his own version of a "Sweet 16 Party" when he "Mo’ed" down 16 batter to lead the Bordentown Post 26 American Legion baseball team to a 10-1 victory over Musconetcong Post 278 in District 2 action at Moody Park on Sunday.
Moceri pitched the first seven innings and allowed just one run on two hits to pick up the win. Had Bordentown manager Tom Dolan left Moceri in the game a little longer he would have surely had an excellent chance of breaking Hamilton Post 31’s Todd Ruyak strikeout record of 17, which was set in 1988. But no one knew he was close to a record and Dolan probably wouldn’t have left him in anyway because, as an old pitching coach himself, he protects his pitchers’ arms.
"16 was the most strikeouts I ever had. I felt good," said Moceri, who wanted to win the game for his terrific manager, who went on to have successful heart surgery the next day at Saint Francis. Luckily the blockage in Dolan’s heart was not nearly as bad as originally feared.
Moceri, who recently completed a brilliant baseball career at Camden Catholic, will play baseball for Potomac State Junior College (where he received a partial scholarship) next spring.
Moceri even helped himself out with a pair of hits and a RBI. Bordentown catcher Bryan Henry had a breakout game at the plate (3-for-5 with a run and a RBI) and called his second straight unbelievable game.
"I call every pitch. But he’s (Moceri) usually always on and he hits his spots," said Henry, who is a mastermind at setting up hitters. Moreover, after discussions about his hitting with his father and his coaches (Chris Hoyer and Neil Cumming), Henry hit his way out of a mini-slump.
"I was going (hitting) off my toe and changing levels. But in yesterday’s (Sunday) game I made sure I kept myself planted," said Henry, who can carry a team when he’s on.
Bordentown banged out 16 hits as Stevie Giambrone (3-for-5, run, RBI), Matt Vereb (2-for-4, 2 runs), Andy Hoyer (2-for-3 with a double, a run and a RBI), Chuck Krichling (two runs, RBI, base hit), Lou Barbieri ((2-for-3, three RBI, a run scored), Sal Garofalo (single, RBI, run), and Mike Loffredo (run scored) all got in on the offensive act. Zach Koss and Russ Stupienski each tossed a scoreless inning of relief for the winners.
As great as Moceri’s game was, it was hardly out of the ordinary. This year, Moceri won the Mercer County American Legion League Bus Saidt MVP award named after the Hall of Fame Trenton Times reporter. Saidt loved baseball and he would have certainly loved to have seen Moceri hit. This year Mighty Mo knocked in a league-leading 40 RBI, tied for the league lead in homers with six, and led the league in slugging percentage with an unreal 1.067 mark while batting .450. Moceri’s cousin Mike and his older brother Frank are both tremendous hitters, but Matt may very well be the best hitter out of all the Moceri’s.
As a pitcher he posted a 4-1 record with a 1.13 ERA. At 6′ 8", Moceri has a fastball that tops out 92 miles an hour. But he usually throws his heater around 88 miles an hour. Against Musconetcong his out pitch was his splitter. But he also has a great changeup, curve and sinker in his arsenal.
"Mo can throw anything," said Matt’s proud father Frank, who is the team’s statistician.
While he was satisfied with both his extraordinary hitting and pitching, Moceri was a little more pleased with his hitting. "I try to get it through the middle and get those guys in," said Moceri, who was happy he won MVP rather than Player of the Year honors. "MVP means I helped out my entire team."
Last year on the mound, Moceri was done in by the big inning a few times. But this year after he gives up a run or two, he has learned to maintain his focus on the mound and salvage the inning. At the plate he has a penchant for smoking hard two-out base hits with runners in scoring position. That kind of hitting takes intense concentration and focus. Moceri has obviously matured into a tremendous player and young man.
Moceri knew he was having a special season the second he was walked intentionally with the bases loaded in the Binghamton tournament.
Always an excellent student and a sensational Little League player, Moceri will study Criminal Justice in college and he hopes to one day be a police officer. But right now he’s enjoying his time as a dominating baseball player in an American Legion League few have ever dominated the way he has.

