Post 383's Josh Britt tries to put the tag on an El Dorado runner after a fifth inning steal of second in the Oaks game on Wednesday. Photo by Joe Blenkle

Fair Oaks 6, El Dorado 6 (League: 0-0, Overall: 3-1-1) - May 27 @ Bella Vista High, Fair Oaks - A promising start soon gave way to errors as Fair Oaks salvaged a 6-6 tie in its non-league game against El Dorado at Bella Vista High School.

    The Oaks jumped out to a 2-0 lead for starter David Jones in the first inning as center fielder Ryan Dettman got a one out hit to left and was followed by a home run by right fielder Jon Lang that lazily sailed over the left center field fence.

    But El Dorado came back in the top of the second to load the bases with no outs, eventually scoring two runs of their own to tie the game at 2-2 and mark what would be the start of an eight-error game for the Oaks.

    Post 383 went back on top in the bottom of the second as designated hitter Andrew Gutierrez led off with a walk. With first baseman Justin Haley at the plate, a passed ball sent Gutierrez to second. Haley grounded out to short, but the play moved Gutierrez to third. He then scored on catcher Mike Nantze's hit to left center to make it a 3-2 game.

    Errors led to El Dorado knotting the game at 3-3 in the third inning and getting the go-ahead run in the fifth, as the visitors took a 4-3 advantage over the Oaks.

    Two more runs scored in the sixth off a new Oaks pitcher as Zane Hemphill replaced Jones on the mound. Hemphill struck out the first two batters he faced, but then a hit to right with an error, a walk, and a bad pickoff to second contributed to an El Dorado 6-3 lead.

    Post 383 wasn't done, however. As the sun dipped below the horizon in left field, the Oaks got one run back in the bottom of the eighth. With one out, Lang popped the ball down the right field line. Three players converged on it, but no one could come up with the ball and Lang made it all the way to second. With two outs and third baseman Ryan Hall at the plate, a wild pitch sent Lang to third. Hall walked, bringing up Gutierrez. A passed ball then allowed Lang to score to close the gap to 6-4.

    Brian Kennedy, who had come on in the top of the seventh to pitch for the Oaks, struck out the side in the top of the ninth, and Fair Oaks came to bat in the bottom of the inning with what was left of daylight fading fast.

     If you were a fan watching the game, you literally couldn't see the ball on the field. But the Oaks saw it well enough to score another two runs and tie the game at 6-6.

    Chris Harms led off the inning with a double into right center and Nantze followed with a double to right that sent Harms to third. One had to wonder if the fielders could even see the ball as the next batter, Bryce Bandilla, sent a hit by the shortstop to score Harms and make it 6-5. Nick Anicich followed with another hit to deep short to score Nantze and tie the game at 6-6.

    The next three batters went down in order to end the inning and the umpires called the game due to darkness leaving the score tied at 6-6.

El Dorado: Pitching - Pulley, McKenzie (4), Friedrich (6), Evanoff (8) and Nutting. Top Hitters - McPeters 2x5; Hutchins 2x4; Nutting 3x4.
Fair Oaks: Pitching - Jones, Hemphill (6), Kennedy (7) and Nantze. Top Hitters - Lang HR, 2 RBI; Harms 2B; Nantze 4x4, 2B.