Fair Oaks 14, Grass Valley 4 (League: 10-7, Overall: 12-9) - July 7 @ Renfree Field - In contrast to the opening game of their doubleheader against Grass Valley which the Oaks won 6-5, Post 383 shelled GV 14-4 in its final game of the regular season.
    Fair Oaks got on the board in the first inning with three runs including a leadoff home run to right field by center fielder L.J. Sneath. Second baseman Nic DeRose followed with a hit to right and moved to third on catcher Todd Jennings' double to right center. Designated hitter Pat Bryant then hit a ball to short that was booted. Both DeRose and Jennings scored to make it a 3-0 game.
    Grass Valley got one run back in the second to make it 3-1. In the third, Robert Wilkerson relieved starter Manny Parra on the mound, putting Grass Valley out in order. The Oaks came back in the bottom of the third for five more runs to take an 8-1 lead.
    Jennings led off with a triple to center field and scored when the throw back in went wide of its target. With one out, Bryant walked, followed by a hit to left by third baseman Joe Liebman. Bryant advanced to third on right fielder Jeff Williams' ball to short. The throw went to second to get Liebman, but Williams was safe at first. Both base runners scored on left fielder Ryan Mink's triple to center, making it a 6-1 game. First baseman Ross Elmendorf followed with a double to left to score Mink and then Sneath followed with a double to left to score Elmendorf and make it an 8-1 lead for the Oaks. A new Grass Valley pitcher greeted the next batter, DeRose, who ended the inning with a strikeout.
    Wilkerson put GV down in order in the top of the fourth - including two strikeouts and the Oaks came back in the bottom of the inning for another three runs.
    Jennings led off with a hit up the middle. With one out and Bryant at the plate, Jennings stole second. Bryant struck out, bringing Liebman to the plate and Jennings stole third. Jennings scored on a passed ball to make it 9-1. Liebman walked and moved to second on right fielder Jeff Williams' hit over second base. Both runners scored on Mink's two-out double to left field, making it an 11-1 game.
    Eric Battenberg took the mound for Fair Oaks in the fifth, sandwiching a fly to left with a pair of strikeouts to send Grass Valley down in order. GV managed to score three runs in the top of the sixth to bring the score to 11-4. A great pickoff play from Jennings at catcher to Elmendorf at first, however, ended the inning before any further damage could be done.
    Grass Valley sent a new hurler to the mound in the bottom of the sixth, but the Oaks scored three more runs off him for the final 14-4 score.
    Joe Caffrey led off with a hit to right. With Mink at the plate, a wild pitch sent Caffrey to second. Mink then hit a ball to second that was booted and Caffrey scored for a 12-4 margin. Alex Graham came to the plate next and walloped a triple into center, scoring Mink. The next batter, Levi Vigna hit a ball to first. The throw came home, but was high. Graham scored to make it 14-4 and Vigna was safe at first. The next two batters recorded outs to end the inning.
    Battenberg got two quick out in the top of the seventh, before an oddly hit ball to short gave the Grass Valley team a base runner. Battenberg got the next hitter to fly to right, however, recording the final out for the 14-4 victory.

TEAM
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
GRASS VALLEY
0
1
0
0
0
3
0
4
7
2-
FAIR OAKS
3
0
5
3
0
3
x
14
15
2


Grass Valley: Pitching - Sowell, Shotwell (3), Lovato (7) and Van Mater. Top Hitters - Larkins 2x4, 2B; Van Mater 2B; Lovato 2x3.
Fair Oaks: Pitching - Parra, Wilkerson (3), Battenberg (5) and Jennings. Top Hitters - Sneath 2x3, 3B, HR, 2 RBI; Jennings 4x5, 2B, 3B; Mink 3x4, 2B, 3B, 4 RBI; Elmendorf 2x3, 2B; Graham 3B.