Fair Oaks 6, Rio Loma 5 (League: 12-0, Overall: 16-4) - July 10 @ Bella Vista High School - The Oaks kept their unbeaten league record intact with a 6-5 win over Rio Loma at Bella Vista High School. Fair Oaks finished their District 6 season with a perfect 12-0 record.
    In their final tuneup before the playoffs, the Oaks took a 3-0 lead in the second inning as first baseman Manny Parra led off with a ground ball to first that went between the first baseman's legs and
into right field. With two outs, center fielder Garrett Holtzen got a hit to center, followed by a Kyle Carden ball to third that loaded the bases after a high throw to first. Second baseman Larry Lomascola then walked to force Parra in and left fielder Tim Cook followed with a hit to left to drive in Holtzen and Carden to make it a 3-0 game.
    Starting pitcher Mike Zeleski who went through the first two innings unscathed, hit a batter and walked another in the third and then gave up a hit as Rio Loma closed the score to 3-2.
    The Oaks got one run back for Zeleski in the third, however, as third baseman Mike Wright got a two out hit to left. With shortstop Derek Chase at the plate, Wright stole second. Chase walked and then a Holtzen hit to left center scored Wright to make it 4-2.
    Zeleski gave up a two out walk and hit in the top of the fourth, prompting a pitching change as Dan Gemma came to the mound. Gemma struck out the only batter he faced in the inning to stop the Rio Loma threat.
    Rio Loma came back in the fifth after one was out, however, as Gemma hit a batter and gave up three consecutive hits. Fortunately, Rio Loma only got one run out of a bases loaded situation and Gemma struck out the next two batters to leave the score at 4-3.
    The Oaks came back for a run of their own in the bottom of the inning as Parra got a one out double to left. He scored as Wright doubled to right, making it a 5-3 Oaks lead.
    The stubborn Rio Loma team came back in the top of the sixth, however, tying the game on a two out, two run homer to right center. The game remained tied until the Oaks took the lead back in the bottom of the seventh.
    Holtzen relieved Gemma in the top of the inning and despite a hit and a walk, prevented Rio Loma from scoring to keep the game knotted up.
    In the bottom of the inning after one out, Parra got a ground rule double to center, followed by a walk to Wright. This prompted a Rio Loma pitching change, but the new hurler saw the first batter he faced - Chase - get a hit off the third baseman's glove to load the bases. Holtzen then grounded to second, with the throw going to short covering the bag to force Chase. But Parra scored on the play and the Oaks took a 6-5 lead.
    Rio Loma managed only a two out walk off Holtzen in the eighth and faced Robert Barrett in the ninth, going down in order and giving the Oaks their 12th league win in as many tries.

TEAM
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
RIO LOMA
0
0
2
0
1
2
0
0
0
5
8
3
FAIR OAKS
0
3
1
0
1
0
1
0
x
6
10
1


Rio Loma: Pitching - Vollenweider, Jordan (4), Bates (7) and Robinson. Hitting - Bowker HR, 2 RBI; Javiadi 2x4, 2B, 2 RBI; Robinson 2x5.
Fair Oaks: Pitching - Zeleski, Gemma (4), Holtzen (7), Barrett (9) and Carden, Matlack (7). Hitting - Cook 2 RBI; Parra 2x4, 2 2B; M. Wright 2x3, 2B; Holtzen 2x4, 2 RBI; Lomascola 2B.