Second baseman Nick Anicich fires the ball to first to try to complete a double play in the first inning of the Oaks game against Auburn on Sunday. Photo by John Blenkle

Fair Oaks 14, Auburn 7 (League: 10-1, Overall: 20-4-1) - June 28 @ James Field, Auburn - In its last two league games of the regular season, Fair Oaks Post 383 visited Auburn's James Field for a  doubleheader against Auburn Post 84.

    In the first game, the Oaks came away with a 14-7 win as the Oaks pounded out 17 hits including two home runs by shortstop Justin Haley.

    Auburn loaded the bases off Oaks starter Taylor Sanders in the bottom of the first inning, but failed to score, and it was all Oaks after that as Post 383 took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on Haley's two out solo home run over the right field fence.

    Sanders settled down in the bottom of the inning, striking out Auburn in order and the Oaks came right back in the top of the third for another run to extend their lead to 2-0.

    Third baseman Brian Kennedy led off the inning with a hit to right center and moved to second as second baseman Nick Anicich drew a walk. With designated hitter Josh Britt at the plate, Kennedy tried to advance to third on a passed ball, but was thrown out. Anicich advanced to second on the play. The next batter, left fielder Branden Lang grounded to first, with Auburn first baseman Zane Butler fielding the ball about midway between first and the pitcher's mound. Butler first turned to second base, but no one was covering the bag and then whirling around to first, he discovered no one was there either and Lang was on with an infield hit to load the bases. With one out, first baseman Chris Harms grounded to short. The throw went to second but was a little high and appeared to pull second baseman Matt Ryan off the base and Lang was safe with Anicich scoring from third for the 2-0 lead.

    Sanders allowed a one out hit in the bottom of the third, but quickly picked the runner off and got the next batter to ground out to end the inning.

    The Oaks added another single run in the top of the fourth on another solo home run by Haley - this time over the left field wall. Auburn came back in the bottom of the inning, however, for their first score of the game to make it 3-1 as a leadoff double by designated hitter Griff Quick and two out single by catcher Cory Nann brought the run home.

    Post 383 all but put the game out of reach with a five run explosion in the top of the fifth. With one out, right fielder Jon Lang and Harms drew back-to-back walks. Lang scored on a double to right by catcher Mike Nantze, and then with two out, a walk to center fielder Ryan Dettman loaded the bases. Auburn pitcher Cole Saunders then issued another walk to Kennedy to force in Harms and make it 5-1. This prompted a pitching change by Post 84 as Matt Leak replaced Saunders. The first batter he faced, Anicich, greeted him with a hit up the middle to score Nantze and Dettman to make it 7-1 and then Britt followed with a hit to score Kennedy to increase Post 383's lead to 8-1.

    Fair Oaks added another three runs in the sixth as Jon Lang led off with a hit to right and Harms followed with a walk to put two runners on. with one out, Haley singled to left to load the bases and then a walk to Dettman forced in Lang to make it 9-1. Kennedy also walked to bring in Harms and Anicich walked to score Haley to give the Oaks an 11-1 lead.

    Auburn tallied one run in the bottom of the sixth and the Oaks threatened again in the top of the seventh as Branden Lang led off with a walk and Jon Lang followed with a hit to left. Auburn's third pitcher of the game Justin Abbott came in, but promptly gave up a hit to Josh Paige to load the bases. Abbott must have carried his lucky charm onto the mound, however, as he got Nantze to line the ball to third for the first out of the inning and Branden Lang was doubled off for the second out. Abbott hit Haley to put another Post 383 runner on, but then struck out Dettman to end the inning without the Oaks scoring.

    David Jones took the mound in relief of Sanders to start the bottom of the seventh. Jones hit shortstop Ken Zuvela to lead off the inning and then gave up a home run to center field to Quick to make it an 11-4 game.

    The Oaks scored a single run in the eighth to extend their advantage to 12-4 as Anicich got a one out hit to center. Jones followed with a ball to short that went right under Zuvela's glove for a hit and then Paige was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Jon Lang's hit to left brought in Anicich to give the Oaks their 12-4 lead.

    Two more Auburn runs scored in the bottom of the inning to bring the game to 12-6, but the Oaks went back up 14-6 in the top of the ninth. With one out, Dettman hit a ball in the gap in center field. Center fielder Jake Davis tried a diving catch, but the ball popped out of his glove and Dettman motored in to second. Kennedy then got a hit to left field to score Dettman for a 13-6 lead. With two outs, Jones doubled to left to score Kennedy and tally the Oaks final run of the game.

    Auburn scored one run in the bottom of the ninth for the final run of the game and loaded the bases with two outs, but 14-7 was as close as Post 84 would get and the Oaks captured the first game of the twin bill.

Fair Oaks: Pitching - Sanders, Jones (7) and Nantze. Top Hitters - Jones 2x2, 2B; J. Lang 3x5; Nantze 2B; Haley 3x5, 2 HR, 2 RBI; Dettman 2B; Kennedy 2x3, 3 RBI; Anicich 2x4, 3 RBI.
Auburn: Pitching - Saunders, Leak (5), Abbott (7) and Nann. Top Hitters - Taylor 2x3; Zuvela 2x4; Quick 3x4, HR; Davis 2B; Nann 2x3; Butler 2x4.