Fair Oaks shortstop Trace Coquillette waits at second base for both the ball and Haggin Grant's Dave Carrick (33) to arrive in Post 383's American Legion game on Sunday at Rio Linda High School. Fair Oaks dropped the game to Haggin Grant, 4-0. Photo by Joe Blenkle
Post 383 downs Haggin Grant
By Joe Blenkle/Sports Editor
(This article originally appeared in the July 1, 1992 edition of The Orangevale News)
    Fair Oaks Post 383's American Legion baseball team took advantage of its bye last Wednesday to get some much needed rest - and it paid off - as Fair Oaks took two of three games this weekend from a strong Haggin Grant team.
    Post 383 hosted Haggin Grant (Post 581) in a doubleheader at Bella Vista High School on Saturday, picking up wins in both ends of the twin bill.
    Fair Oaks' only setback was on Sunday as Post 383 visited Haggin Grant's home field at Rio Linda High School, losing a 4-0 decision.
    Despite winning the opening game on Saturday at Bella Vista, things didn't always look good for Post 383 as it trailed for most of the contest before finally taking its first lead in the seventh inning of play.
    Haggin Grant went back ahead, however, in the eighth, leading up to some ninth inning heroics as Fair Oaks staged a game-winning rally in the final inning of play.     Haggin Grant took a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning, as 10 batters came to the plate to face Post 383 starter Paul Dosher. Fair Oaks managed to get one run back in the bottom of the inning at shortstop Trace Coquillette led off with a ground ball hit into right field. Coquillette stole second and then a balk on Haggin Grant pitcher Cary Tignor with second baseman Dave Scott at the plate sent Coquillette to third. Scott walked and the next batter, third baseman Leon Hamburg, got a hit to center field to score Coquillette and make it a 4-1 game.
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
6-21 Haggin Grant L, 4-0
OVERALL: 9-6    LEAGUE: 9-6
    Post 383 edged another run closer in the bottom of the second as catcher Kent Guthrie hit a leadoff home run over the 326-foot sign in left center field to make it a 4-2 game.
    Haggin Grant answered back with a run of its own in the top of the third, but Fair Oaks scored again in the bottom of the inning to make it a 5-3 game.
    With one out, Hamburg sent a solo home run over the left field fence to bring Post 383 back to within two runs. Post 581 scored single runs in the fourth and fifth inning to take a 7-3 lead, but again, Fair Oaks managed to answer back, this time with three runs to cut the deficit to one at 7-6.
    Scott led off the inning with a walk and then Hamburg was hit by a pitch to put two runners on. Scott scored on a ground rule double by first baseman Eric Henrikson that bounced over the center field fence to make it 7-4, and then with one out, Guthrie sent a fly ball to center that allowed Hamburg to tag and score and Henrikson to advance to third.
    With center fielder Eric Brolin at the plate, a low pitch in the dirt got away from Haggin Grant catcher Jason Henderson allowing Henrikson to come in and score to make it a 7-6 game.
    With two out and two on in the Haggin Grant sixth, Mike McDowell relieved Dosher on the mound, but two consecutive walks forced in a run to make it an 8-6 game. Fair Oaks also faced a new pitcher in the sixth, as Scott Ryia took the mound for Post 581. After striking out the first batter he faced, Ryia gave up consecutive hits to Brett Rapozo and Coquillette, and then walked Scott to load the bases. Ryia managed to get out of the inning, however, with no runs scoring.
    Haggin Grant took a 9-6 lead in the seventh, but Fair Oaks answered back with four runs to take a 10-9 lead. With one out, consecutive walks to Guthrie and Scott Kinsey put two runners on. A ground ball to second by Jason Reynolds advanced both runners and then an intentional walk to Rapozo loaded the bases for Fair Oaks. Coquillette then doubled to right field to score Guthrie and Kinsey, sending Rapozo to third. Scott followed with a ball hit to shortstop. The throw to first was bad, however, allowing Rapozo to score, making it A 10-9 Fair Oaks lead.
    Henrikson came in to pitch the eighth inning for Fair Oaks, but Haggin Grant dropped a hit into right, escaped a double play and got a hit to left to tie the game at 10-10. Henrikson then gave up a double to Ryia, prompting Post 383 coach Don Barney to send in yet another pitcher, Clay Crossan.
    After striking out the first batter he faced, Crossan gave up a bad hop hit to first, as Haggin Grant brought in the go-ahead run to lead 11-10. Henrikson got a leadoff hit to start the eighth inning for Post 383, but three quick outs ended any chance Fair Oaks had of scoring in that inning.
    Haggin Grant got one runner on in the ninth, but after a pop up to short, he was doubled off second base as the next batter flew to center field.
    Alan Coursey Walked to start off the Fair Oaks ninth. A bunt by Rapozo moved Coursey to third and then Coquillette was walked intentionally to put two runners on. Coursey tagged and went to third on a ball hit by Scott that was popped up to first and caught in foul territory down the line. An intentional walk to Hamburg loaded the bases and then a walk to Henrikson forced in Coursey with the tying run.
    Leonard Skattebo came in to do the pitching for Haggin Grant, but the first batter he faced, Greg Kenney, hit a ground ball to short that was booted. The ball kicked off the fielder's glove, allowing Coquillette to come home with the winning run in the 12-11 victory.
    In the second game, Tim Fuhrman and Scott combined to scatter seven Haggin Grant hits as Fair Oaks won the game 5-3. Fair Oaks went down 2-0 in the second inning, but scored three times in the third to take a 3*2 lead. Haggin Grant tied it up with a lone run in the fourth, but two Fair Oaks runs in the fifth, gave Post 383 all the runs it would need for the win. Hamburg homered in the game and had two RBI to lead Fair Oaks.
    The two wins upped Fair Oaks' record to 9-5 for the year.
    Sunday, whatever magic Post 383 used against Haggin Grant ran out, as Post 581 recorded a 4-0 win over Fair Oaks. Post 383 managed only four hits in the game and committed several key errors that led to Haggin Grant runs early in the game. Haggin Grant scored twice in the third inning after loading the bases with three consecutive hits. Fair Oaks' pitcher, Rapozo, got the next batter to hit the ball back to the mound. Rapozo went home to Guthrie for the force at the plate, but then Guthrie's throw to first for the double play went wide, and two runs came in to score.
    Fair Oaks loaded the bases in the top of the fourth, as Rapozo drew a one out walk, Kenney got a hit to left and Guthrie walked, but then a fly ball but to right caught Kenney off the bag and he was doubled off to end the inning.
    Haggin Grant scored two more runs in the sixth for the final margin of 4-0.
    Fair Oaks got a runner as far as third in the eighth inning, but couldn't score, suffering its first shut out loss of the season.
    Fair Oaks begins the final three weeks of the regular season today with a 5 p.m. game against Auburn at Bella Vista High School. Saturday, July 4, Post 383 travels to Lee Jr. High School in Woodland to face Yolo in a lO a.m. doubleheader start, and Sunday, Yolo visits Bella Vista for a single game slated for a 11 a.m. first pitch.
    LEGION NOTES: Post 383's two wins on Saturday lifted the team back into a tie for third place in the Legion's American Division. Charles Eggen leads the division with a 13-3 record, while Haggin Grant is in second at 11-4 and Fair Oaks and Citrus Heights are tied at 9-6. Kennedy-Valley leads the National Division with an 8-5 record, with Fort Sutler in second at 6-7 and Elk Grove in third at 7-9.
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