Taylor Sanders

Fair Oaks 6, El Dorado 2 (League: 13-3, Overall: 34-9) - July 26 @ Laurel Creek Park, Fairfield - (By John Schwefel) - The Oaks eliminated their third successive opponent from the Legion Area 1 Tournament by defeating El Dorado 6-2.
    Although each team had 10 hits, the overriding statistic was not hitting, but missing.  The two teams combined for twenty-nine strikeouts and many were caught looking, mystified by the generous strike zone.
    The visiting Oaks batted first and scored first.  Ryan Dettman led off the first by flipping a soft single over the outstretched arms of El Dorado's third baseman.  He then advanced to second on a wild pitch to Oaks' first baseman, Ben Schwefel, and moved to third when Schwefel grounded out to first base.  After Cameron Barr was hit by a pitch, catcher Bret Gibson knocked in the first run with a soft chip shot into right field.  The mysterious strike zone then made its first appearance as Charlie Robertson and Michael Garber were each caught looking at third strikes to end the inning.
    The Oaks score four times in the second inning to give Oaks' starting pitcher, Taylor Sanders, a safety cushion.  Right fielder, Bryce Bandilla, started the inning by lashing the first pitch to right field and with one out moved to third after successive singles by Andrew Gutierrez and Ryan Dettman.  Bandilla scored when Schwefel walked. Barr then knocked in Gutierrez and Dettman with a double to deep center field but was tagged out trying to dive back into second after Schwefel was held at third.  Schwefel scored for the final run of the inning when Gibson doubled off the glove of El Dorado's lunging center fielder.
    El Dorado closed the gap in the fourth when third baseman, Robert Vaughn, hit a two run homer after a leadoff single by shortstop Matt Foat.  Taylor Sanders worked around a a base hit, an error, and a walk to escape the inning without any further damage. Sanders retired the side in order in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, striking out six of nine batters to finish with eleven K's and only one free pass allowed.
    Michael Garber came in to relieve Sanders in the bottom of the eighth inning with the Oaks leading 6-2.  Garber struck out El Dorado's leadoff hitter, Aaron Conyers, to begin the inning but then El Dorado loaded the bases on hits by Matt Evanhoff, Matt Foat and a fielding error. Garber then K'ed the next two hitters to  end the inning.
    With their backs to the wall in the bottom of the ninth, El Dorado staged another rally when catcher, Kyle Sanders, doubled to deep center field and moved to third on  an infield single by McPeters. Garber closed out the game by fanning Conyers and getting Evanhoff on  a come-backer to the mound.

TEAM	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
FAIR OAKS	1	4	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	6	10	1
EL DORADO	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	10	0

Fair Oaks: Pitching - Sanders, Garber (8) and Gibson. Top Hitters - Dettman 2x3; Gibson 4x4; Barr 2B, 2 RBI.
El Dorado: Pitching - Pulley, Bravo (8) and Sanders. Top Hitters - Foat 2x4; Vaughn HR, 2 RBI.