Fair Oaks 15, Auburn 3 (League: 5-1, Overall: 13-4-1) - June 14 @ Bella Vista High, Fair Oaks - A short-handed Auburn team had no answers for Fair Oaks Post 383 as the Oaks blasted the visitors 15-3 at Bella Vista High School.

    Auburn only had 10 players in uniform and were just no match for the Oaks as Post 383 owned a14-0 lead by the fourth inning. Fair Oaks started off with a 2-0 lead in the first as second baseman Josh Britt started things off with a one out hit to right field. With right fielder Jon Lang at the plate, a passed ball on Auburn catcher Matt Leak advanced Britt to second. Lang struck out, but then first baseman Chris Harms sent the ball over the left center field fence for a two-run homer to give the Oaks the lead.

    The Oaks scored three more runs in the second as shortstop Andrew Gutierrez and pitcher Taylor Sanders drew back-to-back walks after one was out. Center fielder Ryan Dettman then popped to deep short. The infield fly rule was called resulting in the second out of the inning, but then Britt followed with a hit to center field to score Gutierrez and make it  3-0. With Lang at the plate, a wild pitch advanced the runners, and then Lang's hit to center scored  Sanders and Britt to make it a 5-0 game.

    The Oaks continued to dominate the game as they scored another five runs in the third to take a 10-0 lead in the game. Third baseman Brian Kennedy led off with a hit to center followed by a drive to left center by catcher Mike Nantze that hit off the center fielder's glove and bounced away. Nantze landed on second base with Kennedy on third. With one out, Gutierrez walked to load the bases. Sanders followed with a hit to left to score Kennedy for a 6-0 lead. Dettman was the next batter and popped the ball just behind the third base bag,

	Mike Nantze evades Auburn pitcher Griff Quick's tag as he scores after a wild pitch in the fourth inning of Post 383's game against Auburn on Sunday. Photo by Joe Blenkle

resulting in the infield fly rule being invoked again for the second out of the inning. Britt followed, however, with a hit to right that scored Nantze and Gutierrez and then a Lang hit to left scored Sanders and Britt to make it a 10-0 game.

    Sanders put Auburn down in order in the fourth and the Oaks faced a new Auburn pitcher in the bottom of the inning as Griff Quick moved to the mound from  left field. The Oaks greeted Quick with a four-run outburst to up their lead to 14-0.

    Kennedy led off with a double to left center, followed by a Nantze hit to left. Left fielder Branden Lang drove in Kennedy with a hit to left and then with one out, Sanders walked to load the bases. With Dettman at the late, a wild pitch scored Nantze to make it 12-0. Dettman then got a hit to right to score Branden Lang to up the Post 383 lead to 13-0. Britt followed with a fly ball to center that allowed Sanders to tag and score to bring Fair Oaks' lead to 14-0.

    Auburn again went out in order in the fifth, but finally managed to get on the scoreboard in the sixth inning with two runs to bring the score to 14-2.

    The Oaks scored their final run of the game in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Gutierrez and Sanders drew back-to-back walks, just as they had in the second inning. his time, however, with two outs, Nick Anicich and Jon Lang also walked back-to-back, with Lang's walk forcing in Gutierrez to make it a 15-2 game.

    David Jones pitched the seventh and eighth innings for Fair Oaks, holding Auburn scoreless. Kennedy came on to pitch the top of the ninth and gave up a solo home run to Quick for the final run of the game to bring the score to 15-3. Kennedy then sandwiched a groundout with two strikeouts to end the contest and improve the Oaks league record to 5-1, 13-4-1 overall.

    Game notes: Although Auburn is not a District 6 team and is not competing for the District 6 league title, Post 84's games do count toward the other District 6 teams league won/loss records. Although Auburn has fallen on hard times this season, it was only a short time ago (2006) that they won the California State Championship. This game marked the halfway point in Fair Oaks' league schedule of 12 games. The Oaks currently are in first place, one half game ahead of West Sacramento and a game and a half ahead of Yolo. Fair Oaks' only league loss came against West Sacramento in the first game of a May 30 doubleheader. The Oaks haven't lost a league game since then. The only team Fair Oaks hasn't faced yet in league competition is 0-7 Manhart. They are set to face off in their three-game series next weekend, June 20-21. 

Auburn: Pitching - Bews, Quick (4), Viola (5), Zuvela (7) and Leak. Top Hitters - Quick HR; Donley 2x3.
Fair Oaks: Pitching - Sanders, Jones (7), Kennedy (9). Top Hitters - Britt 3x4, 4 RBI; J. Lang 2x4, 5 RBI; Harms HR, 2 RBI; Kennedy 3x5; Nantze 2x5, 2B; .