Yolo 11, Fair Oaks 10 (League: 15-2, Overall: 20-4) - July 13 @ Sacramento City College - In a rematch of division winners, Yolo outlasted Fair Oaks 11-10 in a contest that went right down to the ninth inning.
    Fair Oaks defeated Yolo in their regular-season matchup 6-4, but this game little resembled that contest as Yolo jumped out to a 7-0 lead by the fifth inning.
    The amazing Oaks battled back, however, to eventually lead 10-7. Three runs scored in the Oaks' sixth as left fielder Tim Cook beat out a ground ball to second after two were out for a hit. Second baseman Aaron Yurchak followed with a hit to left and then center fielder L.J. Sneath smashed the ball over the right field fence for a home run to cut Yolo's lead to only four, 7-3.
    The Oaks knocked two more runs off Yolo's lead in the seventh as first baseman Bob Churchill drew a one out walk. Catcher Doug Matlack followed with a hit to left and then designated hitter Dan Gemma got a hit to right that slipped past the right fielder allowing Gemma to make it all the way to third with Churchill and Matlack scoring. Shortstop Ricky Alonso then sent a ground ball to second that scored Gemma to make it a 7-6 game.
    The Oaks took an 8-7 lead in the eighth as Yurchak led things off with a hit up the middle. Sneath followed with a hit to right. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch with third baseman Joe Liebman at the plate. Liebman popped to first in foul ground and the fielder flipped over the fence catching the ball. This allowed Yurchak to tag and score to make it 7-7. With two outs, Churchill walked and then a Matlack hit to center scored Sneath to give the Oaks an 8-7 lead.
    Yolo loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth, but couldn't score and then the Oaks scored two more runs for a 10-7 lead in the top of the ninth.
    Alonso led off with a hit to center, moved to second on a passed ball and third on a balk. Matt Pudge drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch with Yurchak at the plate. Yurchak flew to left allowing Alonso to tag and score to make it 9-7 and then with two out, Liebman popped up on the infield. The ball fell in amongst several players, however, and Pudge scored to make it a 10-7 game.
    A three run lead...and one of your best pitchers on the mound in Alex Graham...the Oaks' three-run lead sounds safe, right? Nope! The bottom fell out in the bottom of the inning due to errors, hitting and untimely walks.
    Graham struck out the first batter he faced, Yolo's Jace Dennis. But the ball got away from Matlack and Dennis made it to first safely. The next batter also struck out and then Ismael Castro sent a ball back to Graham with the throw going to first. Should have been the third out, but it wasn't.
    A hit and a walk loaded the bases, prompting manager Don Barney to bring Bryce Schimmel to the mound. Schimmel who looked sharp in his start against Rio Loma that the Oaks won 11-0, July 8, had nothing against Yolo. He faced only one batter, walking Brian Branam to force in Dennis to make it a 10-8 game.
    Barney then put Josh Gibson to the mound. Gibson, who recorded 11 strikeouts in Post 383's tournament-opening win over Post 61, walked the first batter he faced, David Butterworth, to force in Samuel Herbert who had reached on an earlier hit.
    The Oaks still led 10-9, but the next batter, Karl Coulson, sent a line drive fly deep to right center field. It came within a whisker of being caught, but instead dropped in and two runs scored giving Yolo the 11-10 win and sending Fair Oaks into the loser's bracket.

TEAM
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FAIR OAKS
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YOLO
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Fair Oaks: Pitching - Graham, Schimmel (9), Gibson (9) and Matlack. Top Hitters - Yurchak 3x4; Sneath 2x5, HR, 3 RBI; Liebman 2 RBI; Matlack 2x4; Gemma 2B, 2 RBI.
Yolo: Pitching - Salas, Schimmel (9) and Creely. Top Hitters - Herbert 2x6; Branam 2x3; Butterworth 2x3; Schimmel HR, 3 RBI.