Fair Oaks 14, Utah 4 (League: 14-4, Overall: 19-5) - July 1 @ Fairfield - Taking a break from league play, Fair Oaks got off to an excellent start in Mr. C's Tournament of Champions in Fairfield Tuesday, July 1.
    The week-long tournament draws teams from all over the United States and Post 383 opened play at Fairfield's Laurel Creek Community Park against the Smithfield, Utah Aztecs.
    After a rocky start to open the game, Post 383 settled down and went on for a 14-4 victory over the Aztecs in a game that went only five innings.
    The tournament utilizes both a two-hour time limit for starting innings and a 10-run rule. Fair Oaks gained a 10 run lead in the bottom of the fifth to end the game.
    Utah jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning off Oaks' starter Russ Beldi. Two hits, an error and a walk led to the runs, but Beldi and the Oaks got out of the inning with no further damage.
    Fair Oaks got two runs back in the second as second baseman Rick Patel led off the inning getting hit by a pitch. A wild pitch with third baseman Justin Hoppes at the plate sent Patel to second and he scored on Hoppes double to left for a 3-1 game.
    Left fielder Bryan Lynch followed with a hit to left. With one out, center fielder B.J. Crone hit a ball to short. Utah tried for the double play, but the speedy Crone reached first safely and Hoppes scored to make it a 3-2 game.
    Utah made it a 4-2 game in the top of the third, but the Oaks came back in the bottom of the inning to score four runs and take a 6-4 lead.
    Shortstop Garrett Schoenfelder led off with a walk and moved to third on third baseman Jason Wilkerson's double to right. Both runners scored as designated hitter Nick Palumbo got a hit to left to tie the game at 4-4.
    Patel was the next batter and he hit a ball to third. The throw went to second, but Patel beat out the throw to first to avoid the double play.
    Patel stole second and then Hoppes doubled to left to score Patel, making it a 5-4 game. Lynch followed with a hit to left, sending Hoppes to third and driving Utah pitcher Justin Creech out of the game.
    With catcher Brad Hicks at the plate, a wild pitch scored Hoppes to make it 6-4. Hicks grounded out and then Lynch was picked off third to end the inning.
    Beldi struck out the side in the top of the fourth and Fair Oaks scored two more runs in the bottom of the inning as Crone led off with a hit to left.
    First baseman Jim Ott followed with a double to left center, sending Crone to third and he scored on Schoenfelder's ground ball to short.
    With two outs, Ott moved to third on an errant pickoff play. Palumbo got a hit to left to score Ott, giving the Oaks an 8-4 lead.
    Six more runs scored in the fifth inning to give the Oaks a 10 run lead and the win as Hoppes led off with a walk.
    Hoppes stole second with Lynch at the plate and then with one out, Hicks walked to put two runners on. Crone followed with a double to right center to score both runners for a 10-4 lead.
    Nick Wheeler moved from short to the mound for the Aztecs, but he had little success, as a wild pitch with Ott at the plate scored Crone all the way from second.
    Ott walked and then went to third on a hit to right by Schoenfelder.
    With Wilkerson at the plate, Schoenfelder stole second and then Ott scored on a ball four pitch that got away from the catcher.
    Palumbo followed with a hit to right center to make it 13-4 as Schoenfelder scored to give the Oaks a nine run lead, and then with Patel at the plate, a passed ball moved Palumbo to second.
    Patel was then intentionally walked to load the bases and the next batter Hoppes lined the ball into center field for what would have been extra-bases, but the Oaks only needed one run for the win and the game ended at 14-4 as Wilkerson crossed the plate.

TEAM	1	2	3	4	5	R	H	E
UTAH	3	0	1	0	0	4	2	1
FAIR OAKS	0	2	4	2	6	14	13	3

Utah: Creech, Adalga (3), Wheeler (5) and Brown.
Fair Oaks: Beldi and Hicks. Top hitters: Crone 2x3, 2B, 3 RBI; Ott 2B; Wilkerson 2B; Palumbo 3x4, 5 RBI; Hoppes 3x3, 2B, 3 RBI Lynch 2x3, 2 RBI.