Moorpark Is Left Stranded by Malibu

If they had flare guns, they would have used them. Air horns, too.

Moorpark High stranded a swarm of baserunners who would have done just about anything to get out of the Bermuda Triangle--first, second and third base--on Wednesday.

Instead, the Musketeers left 12 marooned, seven in scoring position, in a 2-1 Frontier League loss to Malibu, which won at Moorpark for the first time in the four-year history of the Shark program.

Malibu (12-5, 8-4 in league play) closed to within one game of Moorpark (15-7, 9-3) in the standings with three left to play.

“All they’ve got to do is slip up once,” said Malibu Coach Tony Walczuk, whose team took two of three this season from Moorpark.

Moorpark, which has acquired the recent bad habit of making the league chase interesting and then heartbreaking, finished second the last two years and third three years ago.

A few more timely hits would have pushed the Musketeers toward their first league title since 1994.

“We didn’t really clutch up in the situations we needed to,” Moorpark pitcher Brian Gilbert said.

“It seemed like we had baserunners on in every inning.”

Josh Birenbaum doused Moorpark rallies in the sixth and seventh innings, leaving three runners stranded, to pick up his second save.

“When that happens, you don’t deserve to win,” Moorpark Coach Scott Fullerton said. “We just left too many runners.”

Moorpark isn’t ready to push the panic button.

If the Musketeers beat Santa Paula, Calabasas and Nordhoff, teams they are 6-0 against this season, the title is theirs.

“I like where we’re sitting right now,” Fullerton said. “We’re still a game up on [Malibu]. I still like our chances.”

The Sharks’ season has already been made, whether they win league or not.

They were 1-20 last season, 0-15 in league play.

They’re short on bodies with only 11 players, but aren’t hurting for talent.

Travis Bennett (5-1), who gave up eight hits, fell behind in the count several times, only to catch up and get crucial outs.

“That’s what I always do,” said the senior left-hander. “Make them think they’re ahead and come back and get ‘em.”

Malibu scored twice in the sixth inning, Ian Fishburn scoring what turned out to be the game-winner on a grounder to third base by Brendon O’Neal.

Moorpark halved Malibu’s lead in the bottom of the inning on a run-scoring single by Chris Doan and Gilbert (5-2) struck out the side in the seventh.

But the Musketeers left runners at first and second in the bottom of the seventh.