| FAIR
OAKS POST 383 |
| No. |
Player |
Pos. |
| 11 |
Cook, T. |
LF |
| 42 |
Holtzen, G. |
RF |
| 7 |
Matlack, D. |
C |
| 12 |
Sneath, L.J. |
CF |
| 23 |
Parra, M. |
DH |
| 9 |
Wright, M. |
3B |
| 3 |
Thompson, J. |
2B |
| 25 |
Barrett, R. |
1B |
| 5 |
Chase, D. |
SS |
| 50 |
Knippschild, R. |
P |
| PETALUMA |
| No. |
Player |
Pos. |
| 18 |
Seibel, M. |
1B |
| 22 |
Lowenthal, A. |
2B |
| 16 |
Garcia, A. |
SS |
| 10 |
Crews, N. |
DH |
| 23 |
Lightner, M. |
RF |
| 8 |
Weekley, M. |
LF |
| 14 |
Anderson, B. |
CF |
| 24 |
Morris, J. |
3B |
| 11 |
Byrne, A. |
C |
| 4 |
Schlesinger, S. |
P |
|
|
|
Petaluma 5, Fair Oaks 4 (League: 12-0, Overall: 22-6) - July 28 @ Yountville - A shrinking strike zone in the ninth inning cost Fair Oaks dearly as Petaluma scored five runs to hand Post 383 its first loss of the Area 1 playoffs, 5-4.
The Oaks gave starter Ryan Knippschild a 1-0 lead in the second as center fielder L.J. Sneath led off with a walk and then scored on designated hitter Manny Parra's double to center field.
 |
|
L.J. Sneath |
|
|
The game remained scoreless after that until the top of the ninth inning when right fielder Garrett Holtzen reached first on an error after two were out. Catcher Doug Matlack was then hit by a pitch. The next batter, Sneath, launched a towering home run over the right field wall to make it a 4-0 lead for the Oaks.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Oaks couldn't get a strike call out of the home plate umpire and the first four batters reached base on an error, hit, hit batter and another hit. Two runs scored to make it a 4-2 game and Knippschild left the mound in favor of reliever Mike Blanford. Blanford got the first out of the inning on a ground ball to second, but then walked three straight batters. Two more runs scored to tie the game at 4-4. Dan Gemma took over for Blanford on the mound and got the second out of the inning as the first batter he faced hit a ball to Derek Chase at short. The throw came home to Matlack for the force of the runner at the plate. Gemma walked the next batter, however, forcing a run home, and Petaluma won the game by a score of 5-4.
Despite the loss, the Oaks had some excellent defensive plays in the game. In the fourth, with Petaluma threatening after a hit to right by the leadoff batter, Holtzen made an over-the-shoulder catch on a fly ball deep to right field. He doubled the runner off first on a throw back to the infield to Josh Thompson at second, with Thompson making the relay to Robert Barrett at first.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
FAIR OAKS | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 12 | 1 |
PETALUMA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
Fair Oaks: Pitching - Knippschild, Blanford (9), Gemma (9) and Matlack. Hitting - Holtzen 3x5; Sneath 2x3, 3 RBI; Parra 2x5, 2B; Wright 2x4.
Petaluma: Pitching - Schlesinger and Byrne. Hitting - Lowenthal 2x4; Crews 2x3; Lightner 2 RBI.