Fair Oaks catcher Doug Matlack waits for the pitch as teammate Charles Smith edges down the line at third during the fourth inning of the Oaks' 11-2 victory over Chico on Friday.
Fair Oaks 11, Chico 2 (League: 16-6, Overall: 27-7) - July 26 @ Yountville, Calif. - Post 383's offense finally got in gear as the Oaks pounded out 11 hits en route to an 11-2 victory over the Chico Nuts on Friday.
The Oaks went up 5-0 in the second inning, capitalizing on four hits and a pair of Chico errors, to take a lead they would never give up.
Left fielder Charles Smith led off the second with a ground ball to Chico shortstop Shawn Biofsky, but Biofsky couldn't find the handle and Smith made it to first with no play being made. With pitcher Mickey Weisser at the plate, Smith stole second and made it to third on an errant throw. Weisser then doubled to right center to score Smith and Weisser scored as first baseman Devin Spurling followed with a hit to right.
Catcher Doug Matlack added another double to left center to score Spurling and make it 3-0. Then with second baseman A.J. Vidlund at the plate, a passed ball sent Matlack to third. Vidlund popped out to second, but then third baseman Steve Snider lined a shot off Chico pitcher Tyler Harvey's foot and Matlack scored to make it a 4-0 game.
With the next batter, center fielder Garrett Holtzen at the plate, a passed ball sent Snider to second. Holtzen flew to left for the second out of the inning, but then with shortstop Josh Thompson at the plate, Snider stole third and scored as the throw from the catcher went high and into left field.
Three more runs came home in the third for the Oaks as Smith led off with a ball into right field. Chico outfielder Dylan Hanley appeared to have a bead on the ball, but slipped and apparently never got a glove on it as Smith was awarded a hit on the scoreboard advancing all the way to second on the play. Smith advanced to third on Weisser's ground ball to second and then with two outs a Matlack hit to left scored Smith to make it 6-0.
With Vidlund at the plate, Matlack stole second. Vidlund reached base via an error and took second on a steal with Snider at the plate with Matlack taking third. Both runners scored as Snider sent a hit into right center to give the Oaks an 8-0 advantage.
Chico sent a new pitcher to the mound in the fourth, but he also proved ineffective against Post 383's bats. Thompson led off with a ground ball to short, beating the throw for a hit. He was erased as right fielder Bill Rhinehart hit a ball to second with the shortstop receiving the throw for the force. With smith at the plate, Rhinehart went to second on a wild pitch and then Smith walked to put two runners on. Weisser followed with a hit to shallow left to load the bases and then Rhinehart scored as Spurling hit a ball to short. The throw again went to second, but Chico couldn't get the double play, keeping the inning alive.
With Matlack at the plate, Spurling stole second. Matlack eventually flew out to right, but not before a wild pitch allowed Smith to score to give the Oaks a 10-0 lead.
Weisser got into some trouble in the fifth as he hit the first batter he faced. The second batter of the inning struck out, but the ball got away from Matlack and the runner reached base safely. Weisser struck out the next batter, as well, but then hit his second batter of the inning to load the bases.
A third strikeout followed - but only for the second out - and then Chico's left fielder Kevin Skeen got a hit just out of the reach of Snider at third to score one run and a walk to third baseman Matt Plummer forced in another to make it a 10-2 game.
The Oaks flirted with the 10-Run Rule in the bottom of the fifth, but managed only to extend their lead back to nine with a single run off a new Chico pitcher.
With two outs, Holtzen got a hit to left. With Thompson at the plate, holtzen stole second and then scored on Thompson's double to left to make it 11-2.
Chico gambled by intentionally walking Rhinehart and then accidently loaded the bases as Smith was plugged in the back with a pitch. The next batter, Weisser, grounded out though to end the inning and keep the Oaks one run shy of ending the game early.
Weisser gave up a leadoff hit in the sixth, but the runner was erased on a double play and the next batter grounded back to the mound to quickly end the inning.
Fair Oaks went out in order in the bottom of the sixth and Snider took the mound in relief of Weisser in the seventh. Chico went out 1-2-3 and the Oaks recorded the 11-2 victory to stay alive in the Area 1 Tourney.
