Catcher Joe Gaggero offers at a pitch in the eighth inning of the Oaks game vs. Novato.
Novato 6, Fair Oaks 4 (League: 16-4, Overall: 23-8) - July 24 @ Clark Field, Woodland - Fair Oaks may have lost a 6-4 game to Novato, but it may work to the Oaks advantage tomorrow as Post 383 will need only one win to take the Area 1 Championship, while Novato and Chico will first have to win their own game, plus beat the Oaks in a second game to claim the title.
Novato went up 2-0 in the second inning of their Saturday afternoon meeting, but the Oaks cut the lead in half with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning.
With one out, left fielder Charles Smith got a hit to right field and then stole second with third baseman Jason Lomascola at the plate. With two outs, Smith scored on a Joe Burson hit to right, making it a 2-1 game.
Fair Oaks starter Ryan Stevens shut down Novato into the seventh inning and the Oaks took the lead in that inning as second baseman Chris Rinaudo drew a one out walk to start things off. With two outs, center fielder Mickey Weisser hit his third home run of the tournament to score himself and Rinaudo to make it a 3-2 Oaks lead.
Novato came back in the top of the eighth, however, to take a 4-3 lead with three consecutive hits off Stevens, including a double.
The Oaks tied the game back up in the bottom of the ninth as Weisser got a two out walk and was driven home on a hit to left by first baseman Tyler Robertson. The Oaks failed to bring the game-winner in though and the game went into extra innings.
Stevens, who closed out the previous day's game on the mound was removed in the 10th as he neared his "innings pitched" limit and was replaced by Brent Fuhrman.
The Oaks loaded the bases in the bottom of the 10th, but again failed to score and two runners reached base in the 11th - but again the Oaks couldn't bring the game winner in.
Finally in the top of the 12th, Novato got a pair of hits and then with two out, a Conner Buestad hit to center scored both runners to give the Raiders a 6-4 lead.
The Oaks went out in order in the bottom of the 12th sending them into a championship "if necessary" game Sunday at 1:30 p.m. The Oaks will play the winner of a Novato vs. Chico game which will be played at 10 a.m.
TEAM
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
R
H
E
NOVATO
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
2
6
14
2
FAIR OAKS
0
1
0
0
0
0
2
0
1
0
0
0
4
8
1
Novato: Pitching - Quine and Colclough. Top Hitters - Dignoski 3x6; Colclough 2x5, 2B; Buestad 4x6, 3 RBI. Fair Oaks: Pitching - Stevens, Fuhrman (10) and Gaggero. Top Hitters - Stevens 2x7; Weisser HR, 2 RBI; Smith 3x5.
