Fair Oaks 7, Fort Sutter 4 (League: 12-0, Overall: 17-4) - July 13 @ Sacramento City College - The Oaks opened the post-season with a 7-4 win over Fort Sutter in the opening round of the District 6 playoffs at Sacramento City College.
Larry Lomascola tags out a Ft. Sutter player as he tries to slide into second base.
An early pitching duel developed between Fair Oaks starter Manny Parra and Ft. Sutter's Justin Facino as the pair gave up only one hit each through the first two and a half innings. Fair Oaks finally got on the board in the bottom of the third as second baseman Larry Lomascola scooted a ball under the glove of Sutter third baseman Russ Hacking. Left fielder Tim Cook followed with a hit up the middle. The next batter, right fielder Garrett Holtzen, hit a ball to first. The throw went to short to try to get Cook at second, but the ball got away and Lomascola scored. Center fielder L.J. Sneath then got a hit to left to score Cook and the Oaks owned a 2-0 lead.
Fort Sutter got one run back in the fifth after two were out, as second baseman Arillo Vasquez drew a walk and center fielder Jeremy Patterson was hit by a Parra pitch. Vasquez stole third with shortstop Eric Farris at the plate, and then a double steal brought home a run to make it a 2-1 game.
The Oaks went back up by two in the fifth as another run came home. Holtzen led off with a ball to deep short, beating the throw to first. A ground ball by Sneath moved Holtzen to second and with catcher Doug Matlack at the plate, a wild pitch moved Holtzen to third. Matlack then doubled to score Holtzen for the 3-1 lead.
Fort Sutter came back to load the bases in the top of the sixth, however, eventually taking a 4-3 lead, after an error prevented the second out of the inning. The next batter flew out which would have ended the inning had it not been for the error. A bases loaded walk and a hit brought in three runs to give Sutter a 4-3 lead.
The lead was short-lived, however, as the Oaks came back for two runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 5-4 advantage.
After shortstop Derek Chase struck out to start the inning, hits by first baseman Robert Barrett, pinch hitter Josh Thompson and Cook brought in one run. Holtzen followed with another hit to score Thompson giving the Oaks a 5-4 lead and chasing Sutter's starter off the mound in favor of new pitcher Jason Roach, who had been playing right field.
The Oaks padded their lead with single runs in both the seventh and eighth innings. In the seventh, third baseman Mike Wright led off with a hit to left center. Chase followed with a bunt for a hit down the first base line, sending Wright all the way to third. Barrett struck out and then Wright scored on a fly to left by Thompson to make it 6-4.
In the eighth, Sneath beat out a ground ball to land safely on first with one out. With Matlack at the plate, Sneath took second on a wild pitch and then moved to third on a ground ball to the left side. With Parra at the plate, another wild pitch sent Sneath home to make it a 7-4 contest.
Barrett, who had relieved Parra in the seventh - swapping positions from first to the mound - put Sutter down in order in both the eighth and the ninth to preserve the Oaks' playoff win.
TEAM
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
FT. SUTTER
0
0
0
0
1
3
0
0
0
4
6
4
FAIR OAKS
0
0
2
0
1
2
1
1
x
7
12
1
Fort Sutter: Pitching - Facino, Roach, J. (6) and Gosney. Hitting - Facino 2x3; Vasquez 2 RBI; Patterson 2x3, 2B. Fair Oaks: Pitching - Parra, Barrett (7) and Matlack. Hitting - Cook 2x4; Holtzen 3x5; Sneath 2x5; Matlack 2B.
