Oaks pitcher Michael Garber prepares to release a pitch in the  fifth inning of Post 383's game against Southside. The Oaks won the contest by a score of 6-2 to improve to 10-2 in league play. Photo by Joe Blenkle

Fair Oaks 6, Southside 2 (League: 10-2, Overall: 25-6) - July 6 @ Bella Vista High School - Fair Oaks improved its league record to 10-2 with a victory over Southside at Bella Vista High School. The win gave the Oaks another series win, as Post 383 beat Southside in two out of three games.
    The Oaks took the 6-2 win, scoring twice in the opening inning and never looking back. Second baseman Keith Jennette led off with a hit to right field and then moved all the way to third on a bad throw by the pitcher. With center fielder Troy Spivey at the plate, Jennette tried for a steal of second. The pitcher whirled around and threw the ball wide of the bag and into center field. Jennette made it all the way to third on the play. Spivey struck out, but then a sacrifice fly to right by designated hittr Bret Gibson allowed Jennette to tag and score for a 1-0 lead. Right fielder Mike Sanchez drew a walk and then first baseman Charlie Robertson was hit by a pitch to put two runners on for the Oaks. Shortstop Cameron Barr followed with a hit to right that scored Sanchez to make it 2-0. The Oaks might have had more, but Barr was thrown out trying to take second as the throw came back to the infield.
    Oaks starting pitcher Michael Garber faced the minimum number of Southside batters through the first three innings, despite giving up several hits. Double plays came up big for the Oaks, and Post 383 went back to work in the bottom of the third for another pair of runs.
    With one out, Sanchez got a hit to left and then moved to third on a Robertson double to right field. Barr walked to load the bases and then another walk to left fielder Jon Lang forced in Sanchez from third to make it 3-0. The next batter, third baseman Greg Polanski, lined an out to first. But Robertson was then able to score after a botched pickoff play to third kept the inning alive. Robertson got caught off the bag, but the throw to third was dropped and Robertson made it back safely. Lang, meanwhile, headed for second - a base already occupied by Barr. While Lang was in a rundown between first and second, Robertson went home and scored to make it 4-0 before Lang was tagged out for the third out of the inning.
    Southside went out in order in the top of the fourth and despite stringing together a couple of hits in the fifth, failed to score. The Oaks came back to score another two runs in the bottom of the fifth for a 6-0 lead.
    Barr was hit by a pitch to start off the inning and then with one out and Polanski at the plate, moved to second on a passed ball. Polanski got a hit to left to score Barr and make it 5-0. A ground out by catcher Ben Schwefel moved Polanski over and then he scored on Jennette's hit to left to make it a 6-0 lead.
    Garber again put Southside down in order in the sixth despite giving up a hit. Two strikeouts preceded a single, but the runner was tagged out trying to go to second to end the inning. A hit, error and a walk with two outs loaded the bases for Southside in the seventh and another hit finally brought in Southside's only runs of the game to make it 6-2. Garber got the final out of the inning on a ground ball to second to end the game and give the Oaks the 6-2 victory.

TEAM	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
SOUTHSIDE	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	2	9	2
FAIR OAKS	2	0	2	0	2	0	-	6	9	2

Southside: Pitching - Womanck and Benton. Top Hitters - Galvan 2x3; Otto 2x2.
Fair Oaks: Pitching - Garber and Schwefel. Top Hitters - Jennette 3x3; Robertson 2B.