Post 383's Josh Paige takes a lead off second in the seventh inning of Fair Oaks game against East Sacramento. Paige eventually scored to give the Oaks their final run in an 8-2 victory. Photo by Joe Blenkle

Fair Oaks 8, East Sacramento 2 (League: 0-0, Overall: 4-1-1) - May 28 @ McAuliffe Field, Sacramento - Fair Oaks tried a little inter-league play as they visited McAuliffe Field in Sacramento to face the East Sacramento Babe Ruth team on Thursday, and the Oaks came away with an 8-2 victory to improve their record to 4-1-1.

    Fair Oaks staked starting pitcher Taylor Hickman to a 1-0 lead in the first inning as center fielder Ryan Dettman led off with a strikeout. The ball got away from the catcher, however, and Dettman made it to first safely to give the Oaks a base runner. With one out and shortstop Taylor Sanders at the plate, a passed ball moved Dettman to second and he came home to score as the throw sailed into center field to give the Oaks a 1-0 lead.

    Post 383 added another run in the second as catcher Shawn Wheeler was hit by a pitch to start the inning. With two outs, Dettman doubled to center to score Wheeler for the 2-0 lead. The inning ended, however, when Dettman tried to stretch the double into a triple and was tagged out.

    The Oaks increased their lead to 5-0 in the third inning as Sanders got a one out hit to left. Left fielder Bryce Bandilla followed with a double to center, sending Sanders to third. First baseman Chris Harms then hit a ball to third. The throw pulled the first baseman off the bag, however, and the bases were loaded. Designated hitter Justin Haley then sent a double to center that cleared the bases with Sanders, Bandilla and Harms all scoring for the 5-0 lead. A sixth run almost scored with Wheeler at the plate. A wild pitch moved Haley to third and a second wild pitch saw him heading for home, but he was tagged out for the second out of the inning and Wheeler grounded out to end the third.

    East Sacramento scored its only two runs of the game in the bottom of the third to close the score to 5-2, but the Oaks expanded their lead back to five with another pair of runs in the top of the fifth.

    Right fielder Jon Lang led off with an infield hit and with Sanders at the plate moved to second on a wild pitch. With one out and Bandilla at the plate, another wild pitch moved Lang to third. A Bandilla hit to left scored Lang to make it 6-2. Josh Paige went in to run for Bandilla and with Zane Hamphill at the plate, promptly stole second. The throw to the bag sailed into center field allowing Paige to advance to third. With two out, Haley got a hit to right to score Paige and the Oaks owned a 7-2 lead.

    Hickamn put East Sacramento down in order in the bottom of the fifth and a new Oaks pitcher, Andrew Gutierrez, sent them down 1-2-3 in the sixth.

    Fair Oaks' final run of the game came in the top of the seventh as Paige hit a ground ball to short and beat the throw to first. With Branden Lang at the plate, Paige stole second. With two outs, back-to-back walks to Wheeler and Josh Britt loaded the bases. Brian Kennedy then sent a hit into left field to score Paige and make it an 8-2 game. A Dettman strikeout ended the inning.

    Haley came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and struck out the side to give the Oaks the victory.

   Game Notes: Confusion reigns! After 20 years of covering Legion ball and absolutely no experience with Babe Ruth, my usually well-ordered lineup I enter in my notebook got messed up when I discovered the wonders of the "Extra Hitter." As I was copying East Sacramento's lineup down, I spotted one player who had no designation next to their name. I asked the scorekeeper what position they played and was told that was the "EH." I assumed she meant "DH," but sure enough...it was an extra hitter. I was a bit bewildered when the "EH" batted and then was followed by the pitcher also batting...yup, Babe Ruth bats 10 players, not nine.

Fair Oaks: Pitching - Hickman, Gutierrez (6), Haley and Wheeler. Top Hitters - Dettman 2B; Bandilla 2x3, 2B; Haley 2x4, 2B, 4 RBI; Kennedy 2x3.
East Sacramento: Pitching - Surratt, Nutter (6) and Kennedy. Top Hitters - Slape 2x3, 2B.