Post 383's Eric Brolin slides into second base on an attempted steal during Fair Oaks' game against Yolo last week at Bella Vista High School. Brolin got on via a hit to left field, but was thrown out on the fourth inning steal attempt. Photo by John Blenkle
Post 383 manages lone weekend win
By Joe Blenkle/Sports Editor
(This article originally appeared in the July 14, 1993 edition of The Orangevale News)
    The Fair Oaks Post 383 American Legion baseball team continued to struggle last week, salvaging only one game of its three-game set against Cordova over the weekend.
    Post 383's only win came on Sunday, as Fair Oaks defeated Cordova 9-5 at Petersen Field in Rancho Cordova.
    Saturday, Fair Oaks dropped both ends of a doubleheader at Bella Vista, losing the first game 10-5 and dropping the second contest 9-7.
    Post 383 looked strong in Sunday's win, as Fair Oaks went up 1-0 in the first inning and kept the advantage the rest of the way for the victory.
FAIR OAKS 1993 SCHEDULE
Date Opponent Score
Haggin Grant Tournament
5-29 Charles Eggen W, 8-5
5-29 Walnut Creek W, 7-1
5-30 Citrus Heights L, 6-1
5-31 Lafayette RAIN OUT
District 6 League Games
6-6 Haggin Grant W, 10-1
6-6 Haggin Grant L, 4-3
6-12 Roseville W, 10-0
6-13 Roseville L, 11-6
6-13 Roseville L, 4-0
6-14 Post 61 L, 9-8
6-16 Southside W, 5-0
6-19 El Dorado W, 8-0
6-19 El Doeado W, 13-2
6-20 El Dorado W, 5-4
6-23 San Juan W, 7-2
6-26 Auburn L, 13-3
6-26 Auburn L, 8-2
6-27 Auburn L, 5-3
6-30 WintersAuburn L, 5-4
7-3 Charles Eggen L, 9-8
7-3 Charles Eggen W, 7-4
7-4 Charles Eggen L, 14-6
7-6 Yolo L, 4-2
7-7 Ft. Sutter W, 6-4
7-10 Cordova L, 10-5
7-10 Cordova L, 9-7
7-11 Cordova W, 9-5
OVERALL: 12-14    LEAGUE: 9-13
    Fair Oaks second baseman Joe Grawey led off the inning with a walk. Grawey moved to second on a bunt by right fielder Brandon Muskopf and then advanced to third and scored on two wild pitches by Cordova pitcher Dan Fotos with center fielder Ryan Brennan at the plate.
    Fair Oaks pitcher Mike McDowell sent Cordova down in order through the first three innings, recording four strike outs, and Fair Oaks came back with three more runs in the top of the fourth for a 4-0 lead.
    Muskopf led off the fourth with a hit to left and Brennan followed with a hit to right. With first baseman Brandon Straw at the plate, a wild pitch advanced both runners. Straw then hit a grounder to shortstop. The throw went to third, but was wide of the mark and both Muskopf and Brennan scored to make it a 3-0 game. Straw advanced to second on the play and then scored as shortstop Dave Scott got a one-out hit to left to make it a 4-0 game.
    McDowell kept a no-hitter going into the fifth when Cordova got its first base hit - a two-out single, but Cordova was unable to capitalize and the game remained 4-0.
    Cordova finally got on the board in the sixth as left fielder Sidney Newman lined a McDowell pitch right back at the righthander, striking McDowell in the middle of the forearm. Chris Read came in to replace McDowell on the mound. After striking out the first batter he faced, Read gave up two consecutive hits to load the bases. The next batter popped out to second, but Read walked the following batter to force in a run, making it a 4-1 game.
    Fair Oaks touched two Cordova pitchers for five runs in the top of the seventh to expand its lead to 9-1. Gregg Kenney led off the inning with a walk and after Cordova pitcher Jamar Reid struck out Jeff Cooke, Read also walked to put two runners on. Cordova's Harvey Hargrove came in to pitch to Grawey, walking the second baseman to load the bases. A Muskopf hit to left scored Kenney, keeping the bases loaded. Brennan then got a hit through the infield to score Read, making it a 6-1 game. Straw flew to center field for the second out of the inning, but then with catcher Kent Guthrie at the plate, a wild pitch scored Grawey for a 7-1 lead. Guthrie got a hit to right field, scoring Muskopf and Brennan to give Fair Oaks a 9-1 lead.
    Pitching on both sides settled down until the bottom of the ninth when Cordova staged a mini-rally, scoring four times for the final tally of 9-5. The win improved Fair Oaks' record to 9-13.
    Saturday, it looked as though Fair Oaks might pick up a win in the first game of its doubleheader at Bella Vista, but the victory escaped them in extra-innings, as Cordova scored five times in the 10th inning for a 10-5 win.
    Cordova went up 2-0 in the first inning, but Fair Oaks came back to take a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the inning. First baseman Eric Brolin led off the first with a hit to right field. Guthrie doubled down the left field line and then Brennan smashed a three-run homer over the right field fence for a 3-2 lead.
    Cordova removed pitcher Aaron Porter in favor of Joey Horgan, but Morgan gave up consecutive hits to B.J. Green and Cooke before getting the first out of inning. Scott Kinsey followed with a hit to left, scoring Green to make it a 4-2 game.
    Fair Oaks added another run in the second as Guthrie drew a one out walk to start things off. A ground out by Brennan moved Guthrie to second and he scored on a hit by Green to left to make it 5-2.
    Fair Oaks pitcher Dave Moore shut Cordova down until the fifth when Cordova tied the game with a two-out three-run home run. Sam Moses replaced Moore on the mound, getting the final out of the inning.
    Fair Oaks loaded the bases in the seventh, but was unable to score as Guthrie got on via error and Brennan got a hit to right field. Green then hit into a double play, erasing himself and Brennan from the bases, but Cooke and Grawey followed with walks to load the bases. In an inning-killing play, Scott sent a ground ball through the left side of the infield for a sure base hit, but the ball took a high hop and hit Cooke as he tried to jump over it, ending the inning and denying Fair Oaks a potentially big inning.
    The game remained scoreless until the 10th when Cordova touched Fair Oaks relievers Mike Lincoln and Straw for five runs, including a three-run home run, for the 10-5 win.
    Fair Oaks now resides in sixth place in the American Legion's American Division. Post 383 is eight games out of first place and four and a half games out of third place - the last playoff spot. With only five games remaining - three with league leading Citrus Heights - it seems almost certain that Fair Oaks will miss the playoffs this season. Citrus Heights remains in first place with an 18-6 record, followed by Cordova (17-6) and Auburn (14-9).
    Fair Oaks had a makeup game yesterday with Haggin Grant and travels to West Sacramento today for a 5 p.m. start at River City High School. Saturday, Fair Oaks visits Citrus Heights for a 10:30 a.m. doubleheader at Del Campo High School. The regular season concludes Sunday with a single game at Bella Vista beginning at 11 a.m.
    LEGION NOTES: District playoffs begin July 21 at Clark Field in Woodland. If the standings remain unchanged the rest of the way, Auburn would face Winters in the first round beginning at 2:30 p.m. and Cordova would face Southside at 6:30.
    Division winners Citrus Heights and Post 61 would receive byes and would begin play against the opening round winners on Thursday. The only division race still in doubt is the American Division battle between Citrus Heights and Cordova, with only half a game separating the two teams.
    A battle is also waging for the final playoff spot with one game separating Auburn and Charles Eggen. Auburn is currently three and a half games out of first.
    In the National Division, Post 61 owns a four and a half game lead over Winters and seven games over third place Southside.
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