Justin Haley dives back into first base on a pickoff attempt in the third inning of the Oaks game against Yolo. Haley started the game as designated hitter, but came in to pitch the final inning, striking out Yolo's Aaron Hansen to preserve the 1-0 win. Photo by Joe Blenkle

Fair Oaks 1, Yolo 0 (League: 9-1, Overall: 19-4-1) - June 24 @ Clark Field, Woodland - Ordinarily when a team uses seven pitchers it's a sign of trouble. But with Fair Oaks Wednesday night at Clark Field, it was more of a message being sent..."You can't hit us and you can't score on us. It doesn't matter who we throw at you."

    Fair Oaks paraded a different pitcher to the mound in each of the game's seven innings, holding Post 77 to only three hits...and one of those probably would have been an out if the ball hadn't deflected off the pitcher and rolled slowly towards third.

    First Inning: Second baseman Josh Britt collected a one out hit for the Oaks, but was later picked off and tagged out at second. In the bottom of the inning, Cody Osburn took down Yolo 1-2-3 with a comebacker to the mound, strikeout, and fly ball to right.

    Second Inning: The Oaks scored their lone run of the game as catcher Shawn Wheeler led off with a hit to left field. Wheeler moved to second on a ground ball to short by shortstop Andrew Gutierrez and advanced to third on first baseman Chris Harms' hit to left. Third baseman Taylor Sanders drove in Wheeler on a ground ball to third. The Oaks could have had more as left fielder Branden Lang followed with a hit to center, but Harms was thrown out at the plate by center fielder Suave Cook's near-perfect peg to Yolo catcher Josh Ryan. In the bottom of the inning, David Jones took the mound and got Yolo out in order on three ground balls on the infield.

    Third Inning: Fair Oaks led off with a hit by designated hitter Justin Haley to left center, but things went downhill fast after that. Center fielder Ryan Dettman flew to right field, but the ball was dropped by Yolo's Trent Hairston. Haley had to hold up on the play expecting the catch and was thrown out easily at second. Two outs followed to end the top of the third. In the bottom of the inning, Josh Paige became the Oaks third pitcher of the game, striking out the side to make it the third straight inning Post 77 went out in order.

    Fourth Inning: This time it was the Oaks who went out in order on three ground balls in the top of the inning. Yolo got its first base runners of the game in the bottom of the inning as Zane Hamphill took the mount for the Oaks. Cook led off the inning with a hot shot back to the mound that Hemphill partially deflected. The ball took a slow roll toward third and by the time it was fielded, Cook was safe at first. Hemphill got the next two outs before giving up a walk to put two runners on, but then Yolo's designated hitter Jake Berlin flew out to right to end the inning.

    Fifth Inning: Branden Lang collected a one out hit in the top of the inning, but the Oaks couldn't capitalize. Yolo got a gift in the bottom of the inning on an error and their second hit of the game. With Brian Kennedy on the mound, Ryan hit a ball to short. Gutierrez scooped it up, but then dropped it and Ryan reached base safely. With one out, Hairston collected a hit, but Kennedy got the next two outs to end the inning.

    Sixth Inning: The Oaks went out in order and Yolo came back with another mini-threat as the leadoff batter, shortstop Jeff Boulware, reached on an error. Third baseman Luke McDonald bunted him to second. Not to be out done by his teammates, Taylor Hickman, the Oaks sixth pitcher of the night, got a pop out to third and a ground ball to short to end the inning.

    Seventh Inning: Insurance runs would have been nice, but Post 383 just couldn't bring them in. With one out Harms walked and then moved all the way to third on a hit by Sanders. Sanders was able to take second as the throw in went to third to try to get Harms. This prompted a Yolo pitching change as Cachet Duncan took over for Yolo starter Max Perea. The next batter, Branden Lang, lined a hard shot right at the first baseman for the second out and Haley flew out to  left to end the inning. Haley took the mound in the bottom of the inning and after striking out the first batter, Yolo second baseman Jay Puckett got the only extra-base hit of the game as he lined a double into left field. Hairston moved him to third on a ground ball out. With the game on the line, Haley got a 1-2 count on pinch hitter Aaron Hansen and then struck him out looking to end the game and give the Oaks the 1-0 victory.

    It was the first time since 2005 that Fair Oaks swept Yolo in a regular-season series and moved the Oaks to a 9-1 league record with two games remaining.

Fair Oaks: Pitching - Osburn, Jones (2), Paige (3), Hemphill (4), Kennedy (5), Hickman (6), Haley (7) and Wheeler. Top Hitters - B. Lang 2x3.
Yolo: Pitching - Perea, Duncan (7) and Ryan. Top Hitters - Puckett 2B.