Fair Oaks shortstop Brandon Muskopf (20) takes the throw from second baseman Dennis Hunt (4) in time to get the runner at second during a sixth inning try for a double play in Saturday's first game of a doubleheader in Placerville. The throw was a little late to first, however, and the runner was safe. Fair Oaks won the game 4-3 and also beat El Dorado in the second game, 5-0. Photo by John Blenkle
Post 383 maintains pace in AL race
By Joe Blenkle/Sports Editor
(This article originally appeared in the July 13, 1994 edition of The Orangevale News)
    Keeping their season-long streak of winning every American Division series they've played, the Fair Oaks Post 383 American Legion baseball team did it again over the weekend, taking two of three games from El Dorado.
    A doubleheader sweep on Saturday temporarily threw the American Division race into a three-way tie (four-way if you count El Dorado), with Fair Oaks, Citrus Heights and Charles Eggen all ending up with 14-8 records. But Fair Oaks' loss on Sunday coupled with Citrus Heights' win over Eggen put Citrus Heights back into first, with both Fair Oaks and Charles Eggen one game back. Which team finishes where in the standings will literally go down to the final weekend, with Citrus Heights making up a game against Yolo yesterday and facing Haggin-Grant Saturday and Sunday, while Fair Oaks and Eggen square off in the final series of the season. Yolo (16-3) could very well hand Citrus Heights (15-8) an important loss in their Tuesday game, while Fair Oaks (14-9) faces the struggling Winters (7-17) team on Wednesday and Eggen plays Southside (10-8).
FAIR OAKS 1994 RESULTS
Date Opponent Score
Memorial Day Tournament
5-28 Kennedy-Valley W, 6-5
5-29 Fort Sutter L, 11-5
5-29 Atwater L, 4-3
5-30 Winters W, 9-8
District 6 League Games
6-4 Citrus Heights L, 12-6
6-4 Citrus Heights W, 1-0
6-5 Citrus Heights W, 8-2
6-7 Yolo L, 3-1
6-11 Auburn W, 11-5
6-11 Auburn W, 10-4
6-12 Auburn W, 12-4
6-15 Post 61 L, 7-3
6-16 FlorinAuburn W, 6-5
6-18 Fort Sutter W, 18-7
6-18 Fort Sutter L, 7-3
6-19 Fort Sutter W, 9-2
6-22 Southside L, 6-5
6-25 Haggin Grant L, 12-9
6-25 Haggin Grant W, 10-6
6-26 Haggin Grant W, 14-7
6-29 Kennedy-Valley W, 5-1
7-2 Cordova W, 11-4
7-2 Cordova L, 5-3
7-3 Cordova W, 12-6
7-7 Roseville L, 5-4
7-9 El Dorado W, 4-3
7-9 El Dorado W, 5-0
7-10 El Dorado L, 11-9
LEAGUE: 14-9   OVERALL: 17-11
    The Fair Oaks-Charles Eggen series could very well decide first place, with the top team getting a first-round playoff bye and the second and third place teams playing the third and second place National Division teams on Wednesday in Woodland. Fair Oaks pitchers could cer­tainly use the rest a first round bye would give them, but coach Don Barney indicated that he'd rather save his pitchers now rather than risk not having healthy arms come playoff time. Fair Oaks, Citrus Heights and Charles Eggen are all assured post-season berths - the only question remains is what order they finish in.
    After a one run loss last Wedn­esday to Roseville, Post 383 came in fired up in their series opener against El Dorado on Saturday at El Dorado High School. After trailing early, Post 383 came back for a 4-3 win in the opening game of the doublehead­er. El Dorado went up 1-0 in the bottom of the first off Fair Oaks starter Andy Tews, but Post 383 came back to tie in the top of the second on a home run to right center, field by catcher Jason Wilkerson.
    El Dorado Post 119 answered back with a homer of its own in the bottom of the inning, taking a 2-1 advantage, but Fair Oaks came back again to tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the third.
    With two outs, shortstop Bran­don Muskopf walked to start things off. Right fielder Shawn Lucchesi followed with a hit down the left field line that was bobbled by the left fielder allowing Lucchesi to take second and Muskopf advance to third. Tews then hit a ball to short, but the throw to first was dropped and Muskopf scored to tie the game.
    Fair Oaks loaded the bases in the third, but couldn't score and then the pitching on both sides settled down. Tews struck out the side in the El Dorado fourth and few runners reached base off either pitcher late into the game. Finally, in the seventh, Fair Oaks took the lead as Lucchesi hit a two out homer to left for a 3-2 lead. El Dorado came back to tie in the eighth, but Fair Oaks drove home the winning run in the top of the ninth off a new El Dorado hurler. Steve Santich walked to lead off the inning and moved to sec­ond on a Kevin McKeown bunt. With two out, Muskopf got a hit up the middle to score Santich for the final 4-3 tally.
    Jason Chaney, who replaced Tews in the sixth, got two ground-outs and a strikeout in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the win.
    In the second game, Fair Oaks' Chris Read scattered seven hits in a complete-game 5-0 win over El Dorado. Fair Oaks scored all five of its runs in the fifth.
    The teams faced each other in a single game at Bella Vista High School on Sunday. Unfortunately for Fair Oaks, El Dorado came out the winner this time despite another late-inning rally by Post 383. Fair Oaks took a 2-0 lead in the first as Dennis Hunt led off with a hit to left. Both he and the next batter, Muskopf, were erased on a double play, but they were followed by a Lucc­hesi double and Wilkerson home run to left for the 2-0 lead.
    El Dorado scored three un­earned runs off Fair Oaks starter Justin Massoth in the fourth for a 3-2 lead. El Dorado's first nine runs of the game - in their 11-9 victory -were unearned. Post 119 went up 9-2 in the fifth, chasing Massoth mid-inning in favor of Sam Moses. Another run came across in the sixth before Fair Oaks finally scored in the bottom of the inning to close the gap to 10-6.
    With one out, Trevor Surratt got a hit to right field. Greg Efstratis added a two out hit and then Moses got on via error to load the bases. B.J. Green walked to force in Surratt and then Hunt's hit to left cleared the bases scoring Efstratis, Moses and Green to make it 10-6.
    Fair Oaks added another run in the seventh on a home run to left by Lucchesi, but El Dorado got the run back in the top of the eighth for an 11-7 lead.
    Fair Oaks scored twice more in the ninth as Wilkerson and Surratt drew back-to-back walks. Mark Scott's hit to left loaded the bases and then Efstratis hit a ball to third. Surratt was forced at third, but Wilkerson scored and the low throw to first prevented a double play. With two outs, Green hit a ball to third that was knocked don, but no play was made, reloading the bases. Hunt then drew a walk forcing in Scott to make it 11-9. Muskopf then grounded to second to end the game But despite the loss, Fair Oaks had won its sixth straight series from American Division opponents.
    Post 383 hosts Winters in a 5 p.m. contest today at Bella Vista. Saturday, Fair Oaks travels to Jesuit High for a doubleheader against Charles Eggen. The start time for the twin bill has been moved up to 9 a.m. The regular season ends on Sunday as Post 383 hosts Charles Eggen in an 11 a.m. start at Bella Vista High. Should Fair Oaks manage to win the division, they will receive a first-round playoff bye and will play the winner of the second place National vs. third place American game on Thursday, July 21, at 2:30 p.m. at Clark Field in Woodland. If Fair Oaks takes second place, they will play Wednesday, July 20, at 2:30 against the third place National team (most likely Southside). Should Fair Oaks take third in the American Division, they will play the second place National Division team (Yolo) at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 20. The first round of playoffs is single-elimination, moving to a double-elimination format after the first two teams are eliminated.
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