Taylor Sanders dives back into first on a pickoff play in the fifth inning of Sunday's game against B&L Properties. Sanders reached base on a base hit, but the Oaks were unable to score. Photo by Joe Blenkle

B&L Properties 7, Fair Oaks 4 (League: 13-3, Overall: 34-10) - July 27 @ Laurel Creek Park, Fairfield - B&L Properties ended Fair Oaks' hopes for the Area 1 title as Post 383 lost a 7-4 decision to the Fairfield team.
    The Oaks chances looked promising as they took a 3-0 lead for starter Bryce Bandilla over the first two innings. Center fielder Ryan Dettman led off the first with a hit to right field off B&L's Ryan Anderson. A potentially big inning was squashed, however, when catcher Ben Schwefel flew out to left and then shortstop Cameron Barr was called out on an interference call as Dettman tried to steal second base. Designated hitter Bret Gibson was the next batter. Dettman finally got a clean steal of second with catcher Victor Romero's throw sailing into center field. Dettman came all the way around to score to make it a 1-0 game. First baseman Justin Haley struck out, however, to end the inning.
    Bandilla allowed a two out hit in the bottom of the first by Romero, but then picked him off first to end the inning.
    The Oaks added another to runs in the top of the second as left fielder Michael Garber led off with a walk. Third baseman Andrew Gutierez bunted Garber to second and then with two out and second baseman Josh Britt at the plate, a wild pitch sent Garber to third. Britt singled into right to score Garber for a 2-0 lead and then a Dettman triple brought in Britt to make it a 3-0 game.
    Bandilla gave up a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning, but then got a come backer to the mound and two strike outs to end the inning.
    The Oaks threatened again in the top of the third as Gibson and Haley drew back to back walks with one out. But a ground ball out third to second and a strike out ended the inning with no runs scoring.
    In the bottom of the inning, everything went wrong that could. With one out, B&L batters rattled off five straight hits to tie the game at 3-3. Bandilla then walked  first baseman John Scholten to load the bases and hit left fielder Sam Hedrick to force in Romero from third for a 4-3 B&L lead. A sacrifice fly brought in run No. 5 for B&L and then an error on a throw from short to first scored another run to give the Fairfield team a 6-3 lead.
    B&L played cautiously after that. In the top of the fourth, a two out walk to Dettman resulted in Anderson getting pulled off the mound in favor of Mike Torrance. Torrance had beaten the Oaks in the opening game of the tourney.
    With Bandilla regaining his form, the game became a pitcher's dual over the next several innings. Bandilla struck out  five batters in the next two and a third innings, but then gave up a double to B&L shortstop Ethan Gibbons, hit right fielder John Burns and issued a walk to center fielder Christian Torres to load the bases. Lyle Hobart took the mound for the Oaks, but promptly gave up a walk to second baseman Mike Norris to force in Gibbons and make it a 7-3 game.
    Hobart got the next out via a fly ball, but then a bizarre twist resulted in him being ejected from the game. The runner tagged from third and came home with Hobart covering the plate. The ball was there in plenty of time to register the third out, but as the B&L player was tagged he leaned into Hobart and the Oaks player pushed him down it what appeared to many as a purely protective move. But the umpire ruled that it was a malicious action and kicked hobart out of the game.
    The Oaks managed a one out walk in the seventh as Schwefel drew the free pass, but then a line drive to second by Barr resulted in Schwefel getting doubled off and the inning ending.
    Garber came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh with Gibson taking over the catching duties. Garber put B&L down in order and both teams went out 1-2-3 in the eighth.
    Fair Oaks tried to rally in the top of the ninth as Gutierez lined a ball of the second baseman's glove to get on. With one out, pinch hitter Jon Lang walked and with Dettman at the plate, a wild pitch advanced both runners. Dettman came through with a hit to score Gutierez to make it a 7-4 game, but then a game-ending double play ended the Oaks' chances to make a come back.
    Tournament Notes: Usually I'm not one to complain a whole lot and this isn't sour grapes because B&L beat the Oaks twice, but this was not one of the best run Area 1 tournaments I have been to. It was nice to have free admission and a well-stocked snack bar, but there were no game programs or Area 1 T-shirts on sale for fans to buy as there have always been at past Area 1 tournaments. B&L seemed satisfied to offer up their own team T-shirts, sweat shirts and souvenir B&L yearbooks. Why did they think anyone from the other seven teams would want to buy those?
    On at least two instances (both Fair Oaks games), umpires were late for the games. There is no excuse for this. On opening night, the Oaks game was scheduled to start at 7 p.m.  Because the other games got behind schedule, Fair Oaks' game never started until 8:35 p.m.  Where were the umpires? With both teams ready to go a little after 8 p.m., they were nowhere to be found.
    Sunday's game started 15 minutes late. Come game time, neither umpire was anywhere in sight. The home plate umpire finally showed up about 10 minutes late. The base umpire never put in an appearance until after the second inning. And then about an inning later he left the field between innings to retrieve his "correct" hat because he was wearing the wrong one. He never returned until after the next inning was well underway. It's nice to know some of  these officials take such pride in the work they do.
    Game Notes: This game was the Oaks 44th game of the year. That eclipses Fair Oaks' previous record of  43 set during the 1997 season. The Oaks also recorded more wins this season than ever before with 34. The previous record was also from the 1997 season when they won 33.

TEAM	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
FAIR OAKS	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	5	1
B&L PROPERTIES	0	0	6	0	0	1	0	0	-	7	7	2

Fair Oaks: Pitching - Bandilla, Hobart (6), Garber (7) and Schwefel, Gibson (7) . Top Hitters - Dettman 3x3, 3B, 2 RBI.
B&L Properties: Pitching - Anderson, Torrance (4) and Romero. Top Hitters - Romero 2x4; Gibbons 2B.