Fair Oaks 5, Yolo 1 (League: 3-1, Overall: 8-2-1) - June 3 @ Clark Field, Woodland - (Note: This story appeared in the June 4, 2009 Woodland Daily Democrat).

Yolo's youth gets served - Post 77 bats silenced by Fair Oaks' Bandilla
By SEAN SWABY

    It's no secret the 2009 edition of Yolo Post 77 is slightly younger than editions of yesteryear.
    Typically, the local American Legion team has been comprised mostly of recently graduated high school seniors or athletes fresh off their freshman junior college campaigns. But in a 5-1 loss Wednesday night against Fair Oaks Post 383, none of Yolo's No. 3 through No. 9 hitters had stepped on their respective high school campuses as seniors yet.
    And even though Yolo's talented group of youngsters have enjoyed a solid start to the summer, it was a rude awakening for the young squad when it stepped into the box against likely the most polished and accomplished pitcher they will see this season.
    Fair Oaks (8-2, 3-1 District 6) starter Bryce Bandilla, a Major League draft pick a year ago out of Bella Vista High School, recently completed his freshman campaign facing Pac-10 competition on scholarship at the University of Arizona.
    Yolo head coach Matt Castles wasn't necessarily surprised that Bandilla -- a 235-pound, 6-foot-4 lefty -- somewhat overwhelmed his squad.
    He was surprised to see him at all.
    "I honestly figured a Div. I pitcher would be facing higher caliber of competition in the summer in the Cape Cod league or Alaska against other Div. I players with wood bats, not high school sophomores and juniors," Castles said. "(UCLA-bound Cody Keefer) and (University of Nevada freshman Mike Turay) aren't coming back to play for us.
    "I don't blame (Fair Oaks) at all for welcoming him back."
    Bandilla had nine strikeouts in five innings, allowed three hits and one walk but Yolo (6-4, 3-1 District 6) still couldn't muster much against Fair Oaks reliever Zane Hemphill, who had seven strikeouts in four innings of relief.
    "We weren't aggressive enough up there at the plate, we'd take strike one and two and then it'd be over..." Castles said. "We were too passive, you have two choices against a guy like (Bandilla), you can put up a tent or take the field and take your hacks.
    "It was like we had our tents up before we even took the field."
    Second baseman Jeff Boulware fared best against Bandilla, going 2-for-2 with a walk and two stolen bases. Boulware scored Yolo's lone run in the fourth inning when Bandilla bluffed a pickoff throw to first and turned to try and catch Boulware at third, but the throw glanced off of Fair Oaks third baseman Taylor Sanders' head allowing him to score.
    He also doubled off of Hemphill in the eighth inning for Yolo's only extra-base hit.
    Post 77 loaded the bases in the fifth inning when Aaron Hansen and Boulware walked and Suavae Cook was hit by a pitch, but Luke McDonald flew out to the right-field wall.
    Yolo starter Cachot Duncan was hardly chopped liver in countering Bandilla, but most of his ground balls seemed to find holes and Fair Oaks took four extra bases off of either wild pitches or passed balls between himself and catcher Jake Berlin.
    Duncan finished with five strikeouts but his only 1-2-3 inning was the fourth and his final inning when Fair Oaks already led 5-0.
    "Cachot threw well, everything was finding holes or they were flipping balls into the outfield, they definitely weren't smashing him," Castles said. "We didn't play the greatest defense behind him, either."
    Lefty Trevor Cecil threw five scoreless innings of relief after Duncan exited.
 

Fair Oaks: Pitching - Bandilla, Hemphill (6) and Wheeler. Top Hitters - Britt 3x4; Bandilla 2x4; Gutierrez 2x4; Haley 2B.
Yolo: Pitching - Duncan, Cecil (5) and Berlin. Top Hitters - Boulware 3x3, 2B.