Cordova's Jamar Reid stretches high to gather in the throw as Fair Oaks' Leon Hamburg tries to beat out a ground ball to shortstop in Saturday's first game of a doubleheader at Bella Vista High School. Fair Oaks won the game 11-10 on a ninth inning grand slam home run by Brett Rapozo. Photo by John Blenkle
Post 383 moves into second
By Joe Blenkle/Sports Editor
(This article originally appeared in the July 15, 1992 edition of The Orangevale News)
    First baseman Brett Rapozo's grand slam home run in the bottom of of the ninth inning lifted the Fair Oaks Post 383 American Legion baseball team to an 11-10 victory Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader over visiting Cordova at Bella Vista High School.
    The home run capped off a rally that saw Fair Oaks score nine runs in the final two innings of the game. Fair Oaks trailed 2-0 after the first inning of play, as Cordova scored early off Post 383 starter Tim Fuhrman. In the second inning, Fair Oaks got one run back, as consecutive walks to Eric Henrikson, Alan Coursey, Rapozo and Fuhrman forced in the score to make it 2-1.
    Cordova added two runs in the fourth and six runs in the fifth, however, to take a commanding 10-1 lead. Fair Oaks tallied another run in the bottom of the sixth to make it 10-2, as catcher Kent Guthrie led off with a double to left field. Guthrie tagged and went to third on a ball hit to center field by second baseman Dave Scott, and then scored on a hit to center by Henrikson.
American Legion - Post 383
Date Opponent Score
6-3 W. Sacramento W, 4-1
6-6 Citrus Heights W, 10-1
6-6 Citrus Heights W, 12-11
6-7 Citrus Heights W, 7-6
6-13 Charles Eggen L, 6-1
6-13 Charles Eggen W, 1-0
6-14 Charles Eggen L, 6-3
6-17 Post 61 W, 13-0
6-18 Fort Sutter L, 6-5
6-20 El Dorado L, 4-1
6-20 El Dorado W, 4-1
6-21 El Dorado L, 12-10
6-27 Haggin Grant W, 12-11
6-27 Haggin Grant W, 5-3
6-28 Haggin Grant L, 4-0
7-1 Auburn L, 7-2
7-4 Yolo L, 14-3
7-4 Yolo W, 4-1
7-8 Kennedy-Valley L, 5-4
7-11 Cordova W, 11-10
7-11 Cordova W, 5-3
7-12 Cordova L, 4-1
OVERALL: 12-10 / LEAGUE: 12-10
    In the eighth inning, Post 383 added four more runs as Guthrie and Leon Hamburg started the inning with walks. A balk by Cordova pitcher Aaron Porter advanced Guthrie to third and Hamburg to second, and then a hit to center by Scott scored both runners to make it a 10-4 game. Scott scored on a double to right field by Henrikson, prompting Cordova to replace Porter with Wayde Dietrich on the mound. Dietrich gave up a walk to Coursey and then struck out the next two batters. Ryan Brennan then got a hit to right to score Henrikson, making it a 10-6 game.
    Cordova went quietly in the top of the ninth, as pitcher Mike McDowell came in to relieve Paul Dosher, who had taken over for Fuhrman in the seventh.
    In the bottom of the inning, Guthrie walked to start things off. With one out, Scott got a hit to left and the next batter, Henrikson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Cordova sent a new pitcher to the mound, but Coursey, the first batter he faced, walked to force in Guthrie from third to make it 10-7. Rapozo then came to the plate and belted a grand slam home run over the right field fence for an 11-10 win for Fair Oaks.
    Post 383 was also victorious in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. Trailing 1-0 after the first inning, Fair Oaks scored twice in the second to take a 2-1 lead. Walks again plagued Cordova as consecutive free passes to Henrikson, Scott and Coursey started off the second inning. Cordova got one out as Scott tried stealing second after his walk. But with two runners on, Rapozo got a hit to score Henrikson to tie the game at 1-1. Brennan walked to load the bases and Coursey scored as the next batter, Scott Kinsey, flew to right field to give Fair Oaks a 2-1 lead.
    Post 383 added three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning for a 5-1 lead. Coursey led off the inning getting hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a wild pitch to Rapozo, and then scored as Rapozo bounced the ball over the center field fence for a ground rule double. Brennan followed with a walk and McDowell loaded up the bases as he bunted back to Cordova pitcher Harvey Hargrove. Hargrove fielded the ball, looked at third to hold the runner and then turned back to first ready to throw the ball for the out. No one was on the bag, however, and McDowell reached base safely with a hit. Greg Kenney got a hit to left to score Rapozo making it 4-1, and Fair Oaks' fifth run scored as Ryan Racette flew to right field allowing Brennan to tag and score, making it 5-1.
    Cordova added single runs in the sixth and seventh innings for the final margin of 5-3.
    Sunday, Cordova gained a small measure of revenge, taking the final game of the series, 4-1.
    Earlier in the week on July 8, Fair Oaks visited Kennedy Valley at William Land Park. Post 383 made a late-inning run at winning the game, but fell short, losing the contest 5-4.
    Trailing 5-0 after three innings, Post 383 scored twice in the fourth and single runs in the fifth and sixth to close to within one at 5-4. In the fourth, Guthrie led off with a double to left and made it to third as Hamburg topped the ball to shortstop for a hit. With Scott at the plate, Hamburg stole second. The throw went into center field, allowing Guthrie to score and sending Hamburg to third. Scott struck out, but then Coursey hit a ball deep to left that went off the left fielder's glove, allowing Hamburg to score and giving Coursey a double.
    In the fifth, Kenney and Guthrie walked with two outs. Hamburg then doubled to right to make it a 5-3 game as Kenney came in to score.
    In the sixth inning, Scott led off with a hit to right that turned into a double as the ball got away from the right fielder. With one out, Scott scored on a hit to center by Rapozo, making it a 5-4 game.
    Fair Oaks got a runner as far as second in the final inning of play, as Kenney got a hit and advanced to second on a bunt by Guthrie. A diving stop at third by KVs Bryan Fall of a sharply hit ball by Hamburg probably saved the tying run, however, as Hamburg was thrown out at first and the next batter struck out to end the game.
    LEGION NOTES: Fair Oaks will resume its protested game against Yolo on Thursday at 5 p.m. at Bella Vista High School. The game, originally started on July 5, was protested by Fair Oaks in the bottom of the fourth inning when the umpires ruled that a runner on second would only be allowed to take third on a hit ball that went out of play.
    Coach Don Barney argued that the runner should have been given home and protested the game at that point. Fair Oaks went on to lose the contst 15-12 and the protest was allowed forcing a replay of the game from the point of the protest. The game will resume in the bottom of the fourth inning with no outs and Fair Oaks at bat. The run that should have scored on the play will be counted, giving Fair Oaks a 6-5 lead, with two runners on base.
    Post 383's two wins this weekend has moved the team into second place in the American Legion's American Division. Charles Eggen remains in first with a 21-3 record, with Fair Oaks eight games back at 12-10 and Haggin Grant and Citrus Heights tied for third with 12-11 records - eight and one half games back.
    If playoffs were to start today, Fair Oaks would meet the National Division's No. 3 team in a single game playoff at 2:30 p.m. on Juty 22 in Woodland. Fort Sutter currently occupies the No. 3 spot with a 9-11 mark. Fort Sutter was a 6-5 winner over Fair Oaks back on June 18 in their only meeting of the year.     
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