May/June 1996 Post 383 Game Summaries

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Post 61 5, Fair Oaks 4 (League: 0-0, Overall: 0-1) - May 25 @ Wm. Land Park
Post 61 overcame a 4-3 Fair Oaks lead with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning to grab the season-opener for both teams in the District 6 Memorial Day Tournament at William Land Park. Post 61 touched Fair Oaks' starting pitcher Garrett Schoenfelder for a run in the top of the first, but Fair Oaks scored two in the bottom of the inning to take an early lead. Designated hitter Devon Nicholson's one out hit started things off in the first. With two outs, Post 61's shortstop missed a stab at a ball off the bat of first baseman Matt Praz and then catcher Dan Parish's grounder to third was booted to load the bases. Second baseman Jim Ott's hit to left scored both runners to give Fair Oaks a 2-1 lead. Post 61 went back up 3-2 in the fourth, but the "Oaks" rallied in the sixth for a 4-3 advantage. Parish led off with a hit up the middle and was bunted to second by Ott. B.J. Crone's grounder to third was bobbled and the high throw to first sent Parish to third, with Crone safe at first. Pinch hitter Kevin McKeown then got a hit to right center to score Parish and went to second on a pitch in the dirt to center fielder Stu Goodall. Goodall got a hit past third to score Crone to make it a 4-3 game. Brent Buchanan came in to pitch the top of the seventh, but two hits and an error resulted in Post 61 taking a 5-4 lead. Fair Oaks went out in order in the bottom of the inning for the 5-4 loss.
Southside 4, Fair Oaks 3 (League: 0-0, Overall: 0-2) - May 25 @ Wm. Land Park
It was another heartbreaking loss for the Oaks as Southside broke open a 3-3 tie with a run in the top of the seventh. Southside took a 1-0 lead in the first as starter Jim Ott surrendered a pair of hits and led 3-0 in the second on a hit back through the mound, a walk and a triple. Fair Oaks got two runs back in the bottom of the third as center fielder Stu Goodall got on via error with one out. Catcher B.J. Crone followed with a walk and then designated hitter Devon Nicholson moved Goodall to third with a fly to right. Shortstop Garrett Schoenfelder walked to load the bases after Crone had stolen second. Right fielder Kevin McKeown then walked to drive in Goodall from third. Second baseman Reagan Reynolds then hit a ball to third that was booted allowing Crone to score to make it 3-2. Left fielder Jason Robertson then grounded out to end the inning with the bases still loaded. Fair Oaks tied the game in the bottom of the fourth as third baseman Jeff Lincoln led off with a triple to left field. With one out, Goodall grounded to second allowing Lincoln to score to make it a 3-3 game. Goodall came in to pitch in the fifth, walking the first two batters, but then struck out the next two and got the third to ground out to end the inning. The Oaks loaded the bases in the sixth, but failed to score and Southside came back to score in the top of the seventh for a 4-3 lead. After one out, a hit off first baseman Dan Hooper's glove put a runner on and the next batter sent a long fly into left. The ball curved toward the foul line as left fielder Andy Tews pursued it, but Tews' off-balance catch as he neared the line was knocked lose as Tews hit the ground and the runner scored. Jarred Hunt came in to pitch with one out and the Oaks got a break as the runner on second was tagged out at third on a steal attempt. Hunt struck out the final batter to end the inning, but the Oaks were unable to come back in the bottom of the inning. McKeown led off, reaching base on an error, but was out stealing second with Reynolds at the plate. Reynolds struck out and Matt Praz grounded to short to end the game.
Haggin-Grant 8, F.O. 2 (League: 0-0, Overall: 0-3) - May 26 @ Wm. Land Park
Post 383's woes continued as Haggin-Grant shelled the Oaks for an 8-2 win. Two first inning walks by starter Jarred Hunt followed by a pair of doubles put Fair Oaks down 3-0 in the opening inning. Hunt was replaced by Brent Buchanan to start the second, but Buchanan was greeted by three consecutive hits and an error for a 4-0 deficit. A wild pitch brought home another run and Haggin-Grant led 5-0 after two. Haggin-Grant added another run in the fifth and two more in the sixth for an 8-0 lead, but Fair Oaks rallied for its only two runs of the game in the bottom of the inning. First baseman Matt Praz led off with a hit to center and moved to second as third baseman Jeff Lincoln hit a ball to short that was booted. Another error allowed left fielder Matt Blanford to reach safely and scored Praz to make it an 8-1 game. Center fielder B.J. Crone's hit to left loaded the bases and then with two out, right fielder Kevin McKeown walked to bring in Lincoln to make it 8-2. Devon Nicholson then grounded to short for a force play to end the inning. Fair Oaks went out in order in the seventh to end the game.
Grass Valley 4, F.O. 3 (League: 0-0, Overall: 0-4) - May 27 @ Wm. Land Park
Fair Oaks suffered its third one-run loss of the tournament as Grass Valley came from behind to win 4-3. Pitcher Dan Hooper struck out the side to open the game and Fair Oaks jumped on Grass Valley for three runs in the bottom of the first, but that was all they would get the rest of the day. With one out, second baseman Devon Nicholson doubled to right center and then scored as shortstop Garrett Schoenfelder hit a ball past a diving GV shortstop. Right fielder Kevin McKeown walked and both runners scored on first baseman Matt Praz's double to left. Grass Valley came back with two runs in the top of the second and one in the third to tie at 3-3. Jason Robertson took the mound for the Oaks in the fourth and held Grass Valley scoreless until the sixth when they scored the final run of the game. Dave Clinton came in to pitch the seventh, retiring Grass Valley in order. Fair Oaks had numerous chances to score, but left base runners stranded in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
F.O. 6, Citrus Heights 0 (League: 1-0, Overall: 1-4) - May 29 @ Del Campo High
Jason Wilkerson's solo home run in the top of the fourth inning proved to be all Fair Oaks needed, but Andy Tews added a two run blast in the same inning and Fair Oaks scored three more times for a 6-0 win for starting pitcher Jim Ott. The Oaks resembled last year's championship team rather than their 0-4 squad of last weekend, with hitting, fielding and pitching all showing vast improvement. After Ott wiggled out of a bases loaded situation in the bottom of the third, Fair Oaks scored on Wilkerson's shot in the fourth with two outs as the ball cleared the right field fence. Center fielder Kevin McKeown followed with a hit to right and then Tews sent the ball over the left field fence for a 3-0 lead. In the sixth, Wilkerson was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and Stuart Goodall was sent in to pinch run. With McKeown at the plate, a wild pitch by Citrus Heights pitcher Josh Morton sent Goodall to second. McKeown bunted to send Goodall to third. Tews then sent a hit over the left fielder Jesse Kreb's head. Kreb's appeared to misjudge the ball slightly as he went back and to his left and Tews went through manager Don Barney's stop sign for a head first slide into third. Goodall easily scored to make it a 4-0 game, chasing Morton from the mound. Reliever Chad Williams struck out third baseman Jeff Lincoln, but pinch hitter Reagan Reynolds got a hit to left to score Tews and catcher B.J. Crone blooped a hit into right as Reynolds was running sending Reynolds all the way to third. With pinch hitter Dennis Hunt at the plate, Crone stole second and Reynolds came home on the delay, scoring as the throw was pegged to second for a 6-0 lead. Citrus Heights went out in order in the sixth and despite getting a pair of runners on in the seventh, failed to score as Ott recorded the complete-game shutout and had seven strikeouts.
Fair Oaks 6, Southside 1 (League: 2-0, Overall: 2-4) - May 30 @ Bella Vista High
Avenging their 4-3 tournament loss over the weekend, Fair Oaks pounded Southside for a 6-1 win behind the pitching of Garrett Schoenfelder and reliever Dave Clinton. The Oaks got on the board in the third inning as center fielder B.J. Crone beat out a ground ball to the pitcher. Crone drew a number of consecutive pickoff attempts with third baseman Devon Nicholson at the plate with one finally escaping the first baseman and sending Crone to second. Nicholson grounded out, but the next batter, left fielder Andy Tews, hit a high bouncer to third that first appeared to be fielded. But as Southside's third baseman reached into his glove to throw the ball, he discovered it was empty and before he could recover it on the ground behind him, Tews was safe. Designated hitter Jason Wilkerson followed with a hit to right to score Crone making it 1-0 and then second baseman Reagan Reynolds got a hit to right just inside the line - a near duplicate of Wilkerson's - to score Tews for a 2-0 lead. Southside scored to close the gap to 2-1 in the top of the fifth, but Fair Oaks answered back with three runs in the bottom of the fifth for a 5-1 lead. Nicholson led off with a ground rule double that almost cleared the right field fence, hitting just in front and bouncing over. With one out, Wilkerson hit a ball to short that was booted, putting two runners on. A wild pitch with Reynolds at the plate sent Nicholson to third. Reynolds then walked to load the bases and Nicholson scored as first baseman Matt Praz hit a chopper down the third base line. The third baseman fielded it just as Nicholson ran by and Praz was safe at first as Nicholson scored. Right fielder Kevin McKeown walked to force in Wilkerson and make it 4-1. Catcher Dan Parish sacrifice to center scored Reynolds for a 5-1 lead and the Oaks almost scored again as shortstop Dennis Hunt struck out. The ball got away from the catcher, however and Praz headed for home where he was tagged out on a close play at the plate. Clinton came in to pitch the top of the sixth, sending Southside down in order. Fair Oaks came back for its final run in the bottom of the sixth as Crone led off with a walk. Crone took second on a passed ball with Nicholson at the plate. Nicholson grounded out and then with Tews at the plate, a wild pitch sent Crone to third. Tews flew to left and Crone tagged and scored for a 6-1 lead. Clinton again sent Southside down in order in the seventh, ending the game and giving the Oaks the win.
F.O. 3, Haggin-Grant 2 (League: 3-0, Overall: 3-4) - June 1 @ Rio Linda High
Fair Oaks continued its strong play with a 3-2 win over Haggin-Grant at Rio Linda High School. Haggin-Grant had beaten the Oaks 8-2 in the Memorial Day Tournament at William Land Park, but the resurgent Oaks team controlled this game from the start despite the close score. Fair Oaks scored its first run in the top of the first as center fielder B.J. Crone's grounder to second resulted in a low throw to first that got away, sending Crone to second. Third baseman Devon Nicholson's fly to right allowed Crone to tag and move to third and then he scored on pitcher Andy Tews' ground ball to second for a 1-0 lead. Haggin-Grant tied the game in the bottom of the inning as Tews gave up a leadoff walk and hit the next batter. A double play from shortstop Garrett Schoenfelder to Reagan Reynolds at second and on to Jason Wilkerson at first erased two runners, but moved the lead runner to third. The next batter tripled to bring him in and tie the game. Tews got tough over the next six innings allowing only three hits while striking out a total of eight. In the fourth, he aided his own cause with a leadoff homer over the left center field fence. Wilkerson followed with a hit to center and with one out and Schoenfelder at the plate, Wilkerson stole second. He moved to third on Schoenfelder's hit to center and then catcher Dan Parish walked to load the bases. Right fielder Kevin McKeown flew to right, allowing Wilkerson to tag and score to make it 3-1. Tews gave up a first pitch leadoff homer in the sixth, but that would be all Haggin-Grant got the rest of the way. Dave Clinton came in to relieve Tews in the eighth and despite a leadoff hit, faced only the minimum number of batters in the eighth and ninth. After the base runner stole second, he tried to tag and make third on a fly to Dennis Hunt in left field. Hunt pegged a perfect throw to Nicholson, however, and the runner was tagged out at the base. McKeown got a hit in the ninth, but was thrown out stealing for the second out of the ninth - unfortunate, as Hunt then got a double to right field that would have given the Oaks an insurance run. As it turned out, however, they didn't need it as Clinton retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth for the 3-2 win.
F.O. 20, Winters 2 (League: 4-0, Overall: 4-4) - June 2 @ Bella Vista High School
Little can be said about this game other than the obvious - Fair Oaks pounded Winters 20-2 and at one point even the Fair Oaks faithful cheered as the Oaks were finally retired one inning late in the game. The Oaks led 1-0 after one inning for starting pitcher Jarred Hunt and the game appeared as though it would be a pitcher's duel early on with Winters tying it in the third. But Fair Oaks added two runs in the bottom of the inning and Winters came back with one in the fourth. The Oaks began to pound Winters in their half of the fourth, going up 7-2, including a two run homer by left fielder Andy Tews - his third of the season. Hunt retired the side in order in the fifth, including two strikeouts and Fair Oaks continued their score-fest in the bottom of the inning with nine more runs as 14 batters came to the plate. Matt Praz hit his first home run of the season - a three-run shot over the left field fence. Stu Goodall came in to pitch the top of the sixth, sending Winters down in order in both the sixth and seventh - striking out the side in the seventh. Fair Oaks added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth for an 18-2 lead. Jared Novak and Jim Ott had doubles in the inning. Another pair of runs followed in the seventh for a 20-2 lead. Brent Buchanan pitched the eighth and ninth innings, allowing only a leadoff hit and a bloop single in the eighth. A double play ended the inning, however, and Buchanan retired the side in order in the ninth to end the game. Catcher Dan Parish doubled for Fair Oaks' only hit in the bottom of the eighth.
F.O. 8, Kennedy-Valley 0 (League: 5-0, Overall: 5-4) - June 4 @ Bella Vista High
Jim Ott's three-hit complete-game shutout of Kennedy Valley dropped his ERA to 0.78 and kept Fair Oaks Post 383 in first place in the Eastern Division of District 6 American Legion play. The Oaks lowered their team ERA to 2.19 and raised their batting average to .313 as they remained the only unbeaten team in division play. Fair Oaks scored three times in the third with two outs as catcher B.J. Crone started things off with a hit to center field. Second baseman Devon Nicholson also sent a hit to center and then left fielder Andy Tews hit a ball to right that bounced over the fence for a ground rule double, scoring Crone from second. Designated hitter Jason Wilkerson added a double of his own to score Nicholson and Tews and make it 3-0. The Oaks added two more runs in the fifth as Crone led off getting hit by a pitch and moved to second on Nicholson's hit to center. Two outs followed, but then with right fielder Kevin McKeown at the plate, a wild pitch advanced both runners. McKeown then got a hit to center that went for two bases as the center fielder missed the play. Both Crone and Nicholson score to make it 5-0. Ott put Kennedy-Valley down in order in the sixth and the Oaks came back to score their final three runs of the game in the bottom of the inning. Shortstop Garrett Schoenfelder led off with a walk, followed by third baseman Jeff Lincoln's hit to left. Center fielder Dennis Hunt then walked to load the bases. Crone was hit to force in Schoenfelder for a 6-0 lead. A fly to center by Nicholson let Lincoln tag and score for a 7-0 lead. Then, with two out and Wilkerson at the plate, Crone stole second. Hunt on third came down the line and the throw went toward the bag trying to get him, but the ball ended up in left and Hunt scored to make it 8-0. Ott put KV down in order in the top of the seventh for the win, moving to 2-0 on the year, while the Oaks improved to 5-0 in league play, 5-4 overall.
Fair Oaks 9, Elk Grove 1 (League: 6-0, Overall: 6-4) - June 8 @ Bella Vista High
Andy Tews pitched another gem of a game, striking out 14 Elk Grove batters in eight innings to lead the Oaks to a 9-1 win over Elk Grove in the opening game of Saturday's doubleheader. Tews got out of a no-out, bases-loaded situation in the second inning, striking out three consecutive batters to end the inning. The Oaks came back in the bottom of the inning to score one run, as shortstop Garrett Schoenfelder led off with a hit to left. With left fielder Jim Ott at the plate, a pickoff by the pitcher got away and Schoenfelder went to second. Another pickoff to second went into center field, sending Schoenfelder to third. Ott delivered a hit to right to score Schoenfelder and took second on the throw home. Third baseman Dennis Hunt grounded to the pitcher to advance Ott to third, but the Oaks were unable to bring him home. A walk and a double tied the game for Elk Grove in the third, but in the bottom of the fourth, the Oaks exploded for five runs to take a 6-1 lead. With one out, Ott got a hit to right. With Hunt at the plate, he stole second and Hunt eventually drew a walk. With two outs, center fielder Stu Goodall got a hit down the right field line that fell between several pursuing Elk Grove players. Ott scored to make it 2-1 and then catcher Dan Parish walked to load the bases. With right fielder Kevin McKeown at the plate and a new Elk Grove pitcher on the mound, a wild pitch scored Hunt. McKeown walked to re-load the bases and then Tews' ground ball to third was thrown away at second and Goodall and Parish scored to make it 5-1. With first baseman Jason Wilkerson at the plate, a passed ball scored McKeown to make it 6-1. Bunts by Goodall and Parish in the sixth and a walk to McKeown loaded the bases and ushered in a new Elk Grove pitcher that struck out the next three batters to end the inning. Tews recorded his 14th strikeout to open the seventh, allowing only a walk in the inning. Fair Oaks came back for three runs in the bottom of the inning to close out their scoring. Ott led off with a double down the left field line and Matt Blanford went in to run for him. Hunt then hit a ball that bounced off the top of the fence in center field. The ball was snagged by Elk Grove's center fielder and Hunt had a Blanford-scoring double. With one out, Goodall hit to second and the ball was booted and then flipped out of play scoring Hunt and moving Goodall to second. With two outs, McKeown's hit to left scored Goodall to make it a 9-1 game. Tews put Elk Grove down in order in the eighth and was relieved by Brent Buchanan in the ninth. Buchanan also recorded three straight outs to end the game and give the Oaks a 9-1 win.
Fair Oaks 8, Elk Grove 0 (League: 7-0, Overall: 7-4) - June 8 @ Bella Vista High
Fair Oaks received yet another strong pitching performance as Jarred Hunt pitched a complete-game shutout over Elk Grove in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. The Oaks jumped on Elk Grove quickly as center fielder Kevin McKeown led off with a triple to center and then with one out, designated hitter Andy Tews hit his fourth home run of the season over the left field fence. Two more runs came home in the second as first baseman Matt Praz led off with a hit to left and then catcher Dan Parish drew a one out walk. Third baseman Jared Novak then clubbed a double to right center to score both runners. In the third, the Oaks went up 5-0 as shortstop Garrett Schoenfelder drew a two out walk and scored as first baseman Matt Praz got a hit to right that glanced off the right fielder's glove. In the fourth McKeown scored the Oaks' sixth run as he got a hit to left, stole second and took third as the throw went into center field. He then scored as Jim Ott's grounder to third was fired wide of first base and went out of play. In the fifth, the Oaks made it 7-0 as Jason Wilkerson led off with a hit off the shortstop's glove. Stu Goodall went in to run for Wilkerson and advanced to second on a hit by Praz to right. Goodall scored on Parish's hit to center to make it a seven run lead. The Oaks scored their final run in the sixth as McKeown led off with a pop to short that was dropped. Dave Clinton got a two out hit to left to send him to third and then he scored as Goodall hit a high hopper over the second baseman for an 8-0 lead. Elk Grove got one base runner in the seventh with two outs, but Hunt got the final batter to ground out to end the game.
Fair Oaks 20, Elk Grove 3 (League: 8-0, Overall: 8-4) - June 9 @ Laguna Creek
The Oaks pounded Elk Grove in their final game of the series led by Andy Tews' fifth homer of the season and a three-run shot by Dennis Hunt in the first inning. In the second, center fielder Stu Goodall scored after reaching on a hit to center. A wild pitch with Andy Tews at the plate scored Goodall after the Oaks had loaded the bases. In the third, Dennis Hunt's double and hits by Reagan Reynolds and Jared Novak brought Hunt home for a 6-0 lead. Three more runs crossed the plate in the fourth including a two RBI hit by Jason Wilkerson and Reynolds' RBI single. Elk Grove got one run in the bottom of the fourth after starting pitcher Garrett Schoenfelder walked a batter with the bases loaded. The Oaks made it 12-1 in the fifth as Kevin McKeown's triple to left scored B.J. Crone and a balk later brought in McKeown. Hunt's hit to left scored Matt Blanford, who was sent in to run for Jason Wilkerson after Wilkerson had walked. Another trio of runs scored in the seventh as the Oaks continued to pound Elk Grove pitching, sending nine batters to the plate. The final five runs scored in the eighth as a hit by Crone and walks to McKeown and Jim Ott loaded the bases. Blanford was hit by a pitch to force in Crone and then Praz's hit to let scored McKeown and Ott. Blanford scored on Hunt's sacrifice to center and Praz scored on Reynolds' hit to left to make it 20-1. Goodall came in to pitch the eighth, but immediately got into trouble, walking two and giving up a double that scored both runners to make it 20-3. He recorded the next two outs, however, on a one hop liner to first and a strikeout. Dave Clinton pitched the ninth and shut Elk Grove out in the final inning to keep his 0.00 ERA intact.
Auburn 9, Fair Oaks 6 (League: 8-1, Overall: 8-5) - June 11 @ James Field
Resembling the team that lost four straight games to open the season more so than the team that went 8-0 to start league play, the Oaks stumbled to a 9-6 loss against Auburn. Fair Oaks committed four errors, but still came back to within one run late in the game with three runs in the top of the sixth to make it a 7-6 game. Auburn scored twice in the bottom of the inning, however, to pad their lead en route to the victory. The Oaks led early, 2-0, before Auburn scored single runs in each of the first three innings to take a lead they'd never give up. Kevin McKeown and Dennis Hunt each had a pair of hits and Jason Wilkerson tripled to lead the Oaks. Both McKeown and Hunt contributed doubles.
Fair Oaks 12, Post 61 4 (League: 9-1, Overall: 9-5) - June 12 @ Wm. Land Park
Rebounding from their loss the night before, the Oaks pounded Post 61 for a 12-4 win in William Land Park on Wednesday. Fair Oaks got its first two runs in the second inning as first baseman Jason Wilkerson led off with a hit to left. Second baseman Dennis Hunt followed with a hit to right and then with one out, shortstop Garrett Schoenfelder's hit to right scored both Wilkerson and Hunt. The Oaks added another pair in the third as left fielder B.J. Crone led off with a triple to left field. Right fielder Kevin McKeown followed with a walk and then pitcher Andy Tews lined a shot back off the pitcher for a hit that scored Crone to make it 3-0. Wilkerson's fly to right allowed McKeown to tag and go to third. McKeown scored on a pitch that bounced up and got stuck on the backstop to make it 4-0. Post 61 got one run back in the fourth on two walks and a hit to center. Center fielder Stu Goodall pegged a perfect throw to the plate, but the runner evaded catcher Dan Parish's initial tag and scored. The Oaks got the run back in the fifth, however, as McKeown beat out a high throw from third to lead off and moved to second on Tews' ground ball to the pitcher. Wilkerson walked on a ball-four wild pitch that sent McKeown to third and he scored on Hunt's hit up the middle for a 5-1 lead. The Oaks made it 6-1 in the sixth as Goodall led off with a double to right. He moved to third on Crone's bunt to the pitcher and then scored on McKeown's hit to center. Post 61 added their second run in the sixth as Tews gave up two consecutive hits, hit a batter and walked the next batter. Fortunately, the leadoff hitter tried to turn a single into a double and was thrown out on a play from Hunt to Tews covering second. The walk loaded the bases and the next batter grounded out to score the run to make it 6-2. Fair Oaks came back to score six runs in the top of the seventh as Schoenfelder led off with a walk. Jared Novak also walked and then with one out, Crone hit a ball to short that went off the shortstop's glove and the bases were loaded. McKeown then cleared the bases with a triple to center to make it 9-2 and Tews followed with his sixth home run of the year for an 11-2 score. Wilkerson followed with another hit and moved to third on Hunt's hit to left. With two outs, Schoenfelder's hit to center scored Wilkerson for an 12-2 lead. Dave Clinton came in to relieve Tews in the seventh, but got into trouble early giving up a pair of hits and a walk and a fly to center for two Post 61 runs. Two outs followed, however, with the Oaks taking the 12-4 win.
F.O. 21, Florin 5 (League: 9-1, Overall: 10-5) - June 13 @ Florin High School
Fair Oaks overcame a slow start and a 4-1 deficit to run away from Florin 21-5 in Thursday's game at Florin High School. Fair Oaks went up 1-0 in the first as catcher B.J. Crone led off with a walk. With right fielder Kevin McKeown at the plate, Crone stole second and then scored with two outs on first baseman Jason Wilkerson's bouncer over third. Florin came back in the bottom of the inning to hit Oaks starter Jarred Hunt hard, scoring four runs and driving him off the hill in favor of Dave Clinton. Clinton got the final out and sent Florin down in order in the second. In the top of the third, Fair Oaks exploded to take an 8-4 lead. With one out, McKeown started things off with a hit to center. Walks to Andy Tews and Jason Wilkerson followed and then Dennis Hunts hit to right drove in McKeown and Tews for a 4-3 game. Jim Ott gave the Oaks the lead with a triple to right, scoring Wilkerson and Hunt and then Matt Blanford's grounder to short was booted scoring Ott for a 6-4 lead. With two out, center fielder Stu Goodall got a hit to right to score Blanford after Blanford had stolen second. With Crone at the plate, Goodall stole second and scored on Crone's triple to left center to make it 8-4. In the fifth, Fair Oaks added another three runs after two were out. Blanford led off with a hit to center, but was thrown out stealing and Jared Novak grounded to third. Goodall walked, Crone followed with a hit to right, and then McKeown hit a ball deep to left that went for a home run and made it an 11-4 game. Fair Oaks had another big inning late in the game, scoring another 10 runs en route to a 21-5 victory.
F.O. 9, Solano Concrete 4 (League: 9-1, Overall: 11-5) - June 17 @ Bella Vista
Money doesn't always talk, and the big-budget Solano Concrete American Legion team found that out last Monday when they visited Bella Vista High School to meet the Oaks of Fair Oaks. For Post 383, it was just another day of batting practice, as the Oaks' hitters dominated Solano pitching and the Oaks' own mound staff held Solano in check. Fair Oaks got its first run in the second as first baseman Jason Wilkerson pounded a hit to right that got by the right fielder and went for a double. With one out, shortstop Garrett Schoenfelder got a hit to right and then Wilkerson scored on Matt Blanford's hit into left. Fair Oaks starter Jim Ott got into some difficulty in the fourth as Solano loaded the bases with one out. Andy Tews came in to pitch, striking out the first batter he faced, but then giving up a base-clearing triple to right for a 3-1 Solano lead. The Oaks came back to take a 6-3 lead in the bottom of the inning as Schoenfelder reached on an error, Blanford got a hit to right, and third baseman Devon Nicholson loaded the bases with a ball to second that was booted. Center fielder Stu Goodall then got a hit to right to score Schoenfelder and Blanford to make it 3-3. Kevin McKeown followed with a double to center, scoring Nicholson and Goodall for a 5-3 lead. Tews doubled and Wilkerson walked to put two more runners on and then Dennis Hunt's hit to right center scored Tews to make it 6-3. Solano came back with a run in the fifth, but the Oaks padded their lead in the sixth as B.J. Crone led off with a double to center. Crone moved to third on McKeown's bunt to the pitcher, but was thrown out at the plate as Tews grounded to third. With Wilkerson at the plate, Tews stole second. The throw went into center allowing him to reach third, and then he scored on a passed ball to make it 7-4. Nicholson homered to lead off the seventh for an 8-4 lead and Tews homered to lead off the eighth for a 9-4 advantage en route to the win.
F.O. 13, Grass Valley 2 (League: 9-1, Overall: 12-5) - June 19 @ Bella Vista High
It was another dominating win for Fair Oaks as Post 383 ran off to a 13-2 win over Grass Valley. Kevin McKeown's first inning triple and a sacrifice fly by Andy Tews gave the Oaks a 1-0 lead in the opening inning. Grass Valley tied it in the second, but from then on it was the Oaks' game as Fair Oaks went up 8-1 in the bottom of the inning. Hits by Matt Praz, Garrett Schoenfelder at Matt Blanford brought in the first run and then B.J. Crone's double to right center made it a 4-1 game. McKeown followed with another hit to score Crone and then with two outs, Jason Wilkerson walked and Dennis Hunt doubled to right to score McKeown. Devon Nicholson's hit to left scored Wilkerson and Hunt to make it 8-1. Fair Oaks added two more in the third for a 10-1 lead and Grass Valley scored its second run of the game in the fifth. The Oaks used consecutive hits by McKeown, Tews and Jim Ott to make it 11-2 in the bottom of the fifth and added two more in the sixth for the final 13-2 score. Jeff Lincoln reached on an error and then Schoenfelder got a one out hit to left. Blanfrd's hit loaded the bases and then Reagan Reynolds got a hit to left center to score Lincoln and Schoenfelder to make it 13-2.
F.O. 10, El Dorado 2 (League: 10-1, Overall: 13-5) - June 22 @ Ponderosa High
The Oaks continued to pound the ball this past weekend as El Dorado fell 10-2 in the opening game of Saturday's doubleheader at Ponderosa High School. Fair Oaks went up 3-0 in the first inning as Garrett Schoenfelder led off with a double to right. With two outs, Kevin McKeown walked and then pitcher Andy Tews drove in Schoenfelder with a hit to left. Jason Wilkerson's hit to left loaded the bases and then Devon Nicholson drove in McKeown and Tews with a hit to right center. The barrage continued in the fourth as the Oaks went up 7-0. Hits by Matt Praz and Stu Goodall made it 4-0 and then a walk to B.J. Crone and a sacrifice by McKeown and an error made it 5-0. Tews' hit to center scored Crone and then Wilkerson's double to center scored Tews to make it 7-0. Two more runs followed in the sixth as McKeown tripled and scored on Tews' double. An errant pickoff sent Tews to third and he scored on Wilkerson's fly to right. El Dorado got one run back in the seventh, but Fair Oaks answered in the top of the eighth as Crone scored on a wild pitch after reaching on a hit to left, moving to third on an error. El Dorado scored once in the ninth for the 10-2 final score.
El Dorado 5, F.O. 4 (League: 10-2, Overall: 13-6) - June 22 @ Ponderosa High
It was one of those games where little went right for the Oaks, as El Dorado came back from a 4-1 deficit to take the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, 5-4. Jarred Hunt started the game for the Oaks, and despite some troubles, pitched his strongest outing of the year. Fair Oaks gave Hunt a 2-0 lead in the fourth as Andy Tews led off with a walk and stole second with Jason Wilkerson at the plate. Wilkerson doubled to score Tews and then with two out, Garrett Schoenfelder's double to left scored Wilkerson to make it 2-0. El Dorado got one run back in the bottom of the inning, but the Oaks went up 4-1 in the fifth as B.J. Crone started things off with a one out walk. With two outs, Tews got a ground rule double to left as the ball bounced over the fence and then Wilkerson's hit to left scored Crone and Tews for a 4-1 lead. Dave Clinton took the mound in the bottom of the fifth and after getting two outs gave up a walk and three hits to make it a 4-3 game. Stu Goodall came in to pitch, giving up a close run as the runner on third scored during a pickoff and rundown between first and second. The runner crossed the plate only a scant second before the out was recorded, making it a 4-4 game. Fair Oaks went out in order in the sixth and El Dorado came back to score a single run after two were out in the bottom of the inning. With one out in the seventh, B.J. Crone got a hit to center. He moved to second on McKeown's ground ball to first. McKeown stopped halfway to first to avoid the tag, then moved backwards and ran for the bag, apparently reaching safely, but he was called out for reversing direction. Tews then hit a ball to third and Crone was tagged out as he went by to end the game.
Fair Oaks 3, El Dorado 2 (League: 11-2, Overall: 14-6) - June 23 @ Bella Vista
The Oaks came back to capture the series with a 3-2 win on Sunday at Bella Vista. El Dorado went up 2-0 after loading the bases off starter Jim Ott in the second. The Oaks avoided a bigger deficit as Andy Tews in left field threw out the trailing runner as he also tried to score. Matt Blanford behind the plate made the catch and tag. A retaliation warning to both benches occurred during the inning as Ott hit the third batter of the inning to load the bases. Both El Dorado's pitcher and Ott were later ejected from the game for two more hit batsmen, although it was obvious neither pitcher was throwing at the opponents. Fair Oaks tied the game in the fourth as Dennis Hunt hit a one out double to left. He was tagged out at third, however, on Blanford's grounder to the pitcher with the throw going to third. With Dan Wilson at the plate, a balk moved Blanford to second and he scored on Wilson's double to center. Wilson scored on McKeown's hit to left to make it a 2-2 game. After Ott struck out three of the four batters he faced in the top of the fifth (hitting the other batter), Fair Oaks went up 3-2 in the bottom of the inning as Tews led off with a triple to center. Jason Wilkerson walked and then Matt Praz's fly to right scored Tews to make it 3-2. The Oaks loaded the bases in the seventh - with a walk to Tews, an error on a ball hit by Wilkerson, and then Praz getting hit - resulting in the ejection of El Dorado's pitcher - but were unable to score. Ott hit the second batter he faced in the eighth, resulting in his ejection. Neither team scored the rest of the way as Stu Goodall put down the side in order in the ninth for the 3-2 win.
Fair Oaks 6, Roseville 2 (League: 12-2, Overall: 15-6) - June 27 @ Bella Vista
Fair Oaks struck quickly against Roseville with three first inning runs en route to a 6-2 win on Thursday. The game was postponed a day due to rain, but that didn't stop the Oaks as Kevin McKeown doubled with one out and Andy Tews and Jason Wilkerson drew walks. With two outs, Dennis Hunt doubled to clear the bases for a 3-0 lead. Roseville got one run back in the third, but the Oaks scored in the bottom of the inning on Tews' eighth home run of the season. Roseville homered in the fourth to bring the score to 4-2, but the Oaks answered back in the bottom of the inning as Hunt hit a leadoff homer to center. Roseville's entire team claimed the ball bounced over the fence and there was disagreement between the umpires as the field umpire signaled double and the home plate ump signaled home run. The homer call stood, however, giving the Oaks a 5-2 lead. Fair Oaks final run came in the fifth as McKeown walked and stole second with Tews at the plate. Tews flew out, followed by a walk to Wilkerson. Matt Praz went in to run for wilkerson and then Garrett Schoenfelder, the Oaks' starting pitcher, singled in McKeown for a 6-2 lead. Dan wilson pitched the sixth and seventh, shutting out Roseville to preserve the 6-2 win.
F.O. 11, Charles Eggen 3 (League: 13-2, Overall: 16-6) - June 29 @ Jesuit High
Any ideas Charles Eggen had of gaining ground on the Oaks in Saturday's opening game of a three-game set, were quickly put aside as the Oaks beat Eggen 11-3 at Jesuit High. Early on it looked like a pitcher's duel as Andy Tews carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Fair Oaks was held scoreless in the early going. But in typical fashion, the Oaks exploded in the third for four runs as second baseman Reagan Reynolds got a one out hit to center to start things off. Center fielder Stu Goodall followed with a double and both runners scored on right fielder Kevin McKeown's hit to right. With Tews at the plate, McKeown stole second with the throw going into center allowing him to take third. Tews then hit a ball up the middle that was booted by the shortstop, allowing McKeown to score. Left fielder Jason Wilkerson then hit a ball to short that was stopped on an excellent play, but he beat out the throw for a hit, with Tews moving to third. Wilkerson also stole second with the throw again going into center, allowing Tews to score for a 4-0 lead. Two more runs came across in the fourth as Matt Praz drew a one out walk. Praz stole second with Reynolds at the plate and then scored on a hit to left. Reynolds also stole second and moved to third on Goodall's hit to right. Catcher B.J. Crone then put down a perfect bunt for a hit to score Reynolds to make it 6-0. In the fifth, Wilkerson walked with one out and then with two outs and shortstop Garrett Schoenfelder at the plate stole second. Schoenfelder hit a ball to short that was booted, as did Praz, and Wilkerson came home on the second error to make it 7-0. Reynolds got his third hit of the day to score Schoenfelder and then Goodall followed with his third hit of the game to score Praz to make it 9-0. Reynolds was thrown out at third on the play to end the inning. Eggen got a run in the sixth on an error and put together a pair of walks and two hits for another two in the seventh to make it 9-3. Two more runs scored for the Oaks in the eighth, however, as Crone doubled with one out to left and McKeown followed with a towering home run to left to make it an 11-3 game.
F.O. 6, Charles Eggen 5 (League: 14-2, Overall: 17-6) - June 30 @ Bella Vista
Andy Tews' solo home run in the bottom of the ninth - his ninth of the year - proved to be the difference as Fair Oaks beat Charles Eggen on Sunday, 6-5. Pitcher Jim Ott and the Oaks' defense held Eggen scoreless until the fifth when Eggen scored its first run to tie the game at 1-1. In the bottom of the fourth the Oaks had taken a 1-0 lead as Jason Wilkerson received a one out walk, followed by hits by Matt Praz and Dennis Hunt to load the bases. Garrett Schoenfelder's grounder to second scored Wilkerson for a 1-0 lead. The Oaks scored three more runs in the fifth as B.J. Crone got a one out hit to right. Kevin McKeown followed with a hit to right, and then Tews' hit to left scored Crone to make it 2-1. Wilkerson followed with a hit to center to score McKeown and after stealing third, Tews scored on Praz's fly to right. Fair Oaks made it 5-1 in the sixth as Schoenfelder led off with a walk. With Reynolds at the plate, Schoenfelder stole second. Reynolds got a hit to right and then Schoenfelder scored on Stu Goodall's ground ball to first that went for a double play, but gave the Oaks another run. Charles Eggen got a run back in the seventh and then tied the game on a three-run homer in the eighth. With two outs, Ott gave up a double and a walk and was replaced on the mound by Dave Clinton. The first batter Clinton faced, however, launched a ball over the right field wall for a 5-5 game. The Oaks went scoreless in the bottom of the inning and Eggen went out in order in the top of the ninth. With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Tews hit his ninth homer of the year over the left field fence to win the game. Despite several key chances by Eggen throughout the game, Fair Oaks ended their scoring attempts with the double play tandem of Reynolds and Schoenfelder. Hunt, in his second game at third, also turned in several key defensive plays. In another great defensive play, Crone connected with Ott at the plate after recovering a wild pitch to prevent Eggen from scoring a second run in the fifth as Ott tagged the sliding runner out.
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Quick scores and game index (click to see story)
May 25 - Post 61 5, Fair Oaks 4 - Two runs in top of 7th sink Oaks in season-opener
May 25 - Southside 4, Fair Oaks 3 - Second consecutive loss in final inning
May 26 - Haggin-Grant 8, Fair Oaks 2 - Surprising Haggin-Grant shells Post 383
May 27 - Grass Valley 4, Fair Oaks 3 - GV post come-from-behind victory over Oaks
May 29 - Fair Oaks 6, Citrus Heights 0 - Wilkerson, Tews homer; Ott complete-game shutout
May 30 - Fair Oaks 6, Southside 1 - Schoenfelder, Clinton combine for win
June 1 - Fair Oaks 3, Haggin-Grant 2 - Tews homer and strong pitching performance lift F.O.
June 2 - Fair Oaks 20, Winters 2 - Oaks pound Winters 20-2 `nuff said...
June 4 - Fair Oaks 8, Kennedy-Valley 0 - Ott tosses three-hit complete-game shutout for win.
June 8 - Fair Oaks 9, Elk Grove 1 - Tews leads Fair Oaks with 14 strikeout performance.
June 8 - Fair Oaks 8, Elk Grove 0 - Jarred Hunt pitches complete-game shutout.
June 9 - Fair Oaks 20, Elk Grove 3 - Tews, Dennis Hunt homers lead Fair Oaks barrage
June 11 - Auburn 9, Fair Oaks 6 - Errors plague Oaks in first league loss to Auburn
June 12 - Fair Oaks 12, Post 61 4 - Fair Oaks hot hitting and pitching continues
June 13 - Fair Oaks 21, Florin 5 - Fair Oaks overcomes slow start to thump Florin
June 17 - Fair Oaks 9, Solano Concrete 4 - Concrete crumbles before Fair Oaks bats
June 19 - Fair Oaks 13, Grass Valley 2 - Fair Oaks pounds out 20 hits in 13-2 victory
June 22 - Fair Oaks 10, El Dorado 2 - Oaks do it again behind Tews & Company
June 22 - El Dorado 5, Fair Oaks 4 - Late El Dorado run sinks Oaks chance for sweep
June 23 - Fair Oaks 3, El Dorado 2 - Post 383 hangs on for narrow win to capture series
June 27 - Fair Oaks 6, Roseville 2 - Tews hits HR No. 8, Hunt has HR, 4 RBIs in 6-2 win
June 29 - Fair Oaks 11, Charles Eggen 3 - Oaks dominate division rival, McKeown blasts HR
June 30 - Fair Oaks 6, Charles Eggen 5 - Tews' 9th in 9th gives Fair Oaks 6-5 victory
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