Fair Oaks first baseman Mat Erwin waits for the ball in a pickoff attempt of Charles Eggen's Mark Frizzi in the eighth inning of Post 383's game on July 18 at Clark Field in Woodland. Despite leading for much of the game, Fair Oaks lost the contest 15-14. Photo by Joe Blenkle
Fair Oaks falls to Yolo in District 6 tournament
By Joe Blenkle/Sports Editor
(This article originally appeared in the July 24, 1991 edition of The Orangevale News)
    Entering the District 6 American Legion tournament in Woodland as the No. 1 seed, the Fair Oaks Post 383 baseball team lost a pair of one-run heartbreakers this past week, eliminating them from post-season play.
    Fair Oaks opened the tournament with a loss to Charies Eggen on Thursday, July 18. Leading 7-0 going into the bottom of the fourth inning, Fair Oaks saw its lead slowly evaporate, as Charles Eggen came back to tie the score in the bottom of the seventh inning at 14-14, and then win the game in the ninth with a single run, 15-14.
American Legion - Post 383
Date Opponent Score
6/1 Charles Eggen W, 4-0
6-1 Charles Eggen L, 8-4
6-2 Charles Eggen W, 7-6
6-4 Post 61 W, 12-11
6-8 Roseville W, 10-7
6-8 Roseville W, 4-3
6-9 Roseville W, 18-6
6-12 Auburn W, 8-4
6-15 El Dorado W, 8-3
6-15 El Dorado W, 6-3
6-16 El Dorado L, 11-8
6-19 Elk Grove W, 8-6
6-22 Haggin Grant W, 15-1
6-22 Haggin Grant W, 10-9
6-23 Haggin Grant W, 17-10
6-26 W. Sacramento W, 8-7
6-29 Yolo-Post 77 L, 7-2
6-29 Yolo-Post 77 L, 4-3
6-30 Yolo-Post 77 W, 5-0
7-3 Kennedy-Valley W, 8-6
7-6 Citrus Heights W, 10-7
7-6 Citrus Heights W, 16-0
7-7 Citrus Heights L, 9-6
7-10 Southside W, 16-1
7-13 Cordova L, 3-2
7-13 Cordova W, 10-4
7-14 Cordova W, 11-7
District 6 Playoffs    
7-18 Charles Eggen L, 15-14
7-19 Elk Grove W, 8-1
7-20 Charles Eggen W, 9-8
7-20 Yolo-Post 77 L, 8-7
OVERALL: 23-8    LEAGUE: 23-8
    Fair Oaks got off to a fast start in the game, going up 3-0 in the top of the first inning. Second baseman Trace Coquillette led off with a hit to right field, and went to third as third baseman Eric McDowell connected on a hit-and-run play for a second Fair Oaks hit. First baseman Mat Erwin followed with a hit to right, scoring Coquillette and then shortstop Brent Massoth hit the ball to third for a forcee out of McDowell. With one out, Erwin scored on a ground out by right fielder Dale Natividad, and then Massoth scored on a hit to left by center fielder Mark Haley.
    Post 383 starting pitcher Brett Rapozo sent Charles Eggen down in order in the bottom of the first, and then Fair Oaks came back in the top of the second to add another three runs to give it a 6-0 advantage.
    With one out, Rapozo walked to start things oft Coquillette followed with a hit off the second baseman's glove, and then McDowell walked to load the bases. Rapozo scored as Erwin hit a ground ball down the first base line that was booted by Charles Eggen's first baseman, making it 4-0, and then Massoth hit a blooper to right field that scored both Coquillette and McDowell to make it a 6-0 game.
    In the top of the fourth Fair Oaks added another as Rapozo led off with a double to right center field. Coquillette grounded out to advance Rapozo to third, and then McDowell walked to put runners on first and third. Erwin then hit a ground ball to shortstop. The throw went to second for the force of McDowell. The relay to first for the double play was late, however, allowing Rapozo to score making it a 7-0 game.
    Rapozo ran into control problems in the bottom of the fourth, walking the first two batters he faced. Charles Eggen's Jason Adge then got a hit to left center to score one run, and Raymond Espinoza followed with another hit to score another, making it a 7-2 game.
    Another hit scored Charies Eggen's third run of the inning, and a walk and another hit made it a 7-4 game.
    Fair Oaks came back in the fifth with four runs to extend its lead to 11-4, putting a temporary damper on the momentum Charles Eggen gained in the previous half inning. With one out, catcher Scott Howard walked. Rapozo followed with a bunt to the pitcher that was bobbled, allowing Howard to take second and Rapozo to reach first safely. Coquillette then hit a ball to the shortstop. Charles Eggen's fielder knocked it down, but was unable to make a throw, loading the bases for Post 383. McDowell then got a hit past the shortstop, scoring Howard, and keeping the bases loaded. Erwin followed with a hit to right field, scoring Rapozo, and again, keeping the bases loaded. Massoth also followed with a hit, scoring Coquillette, and then Brion Casper sent a fly ball to left, allowing McDowell to tag and score, making it an 11-4 game.
    Fair Oaks added three more runs in the top of the sixth to extend its lead to 14-4. Chris Borcich led off with a walk, and then with two outs, Coquillette was hit by a pitch to put two runners on base. McDowell also walked, loading the bases, and with Erwin at the plate, a passed ball allowed Borcich to score, making it a 12-4 game. Erwin then got a hit to right field, scoring Coquillette and McDowell for a 14-4 Fair Oaks lead.
    The bottom fell out in the bottom of the sixth, however, as Rapozo gave up two walks and a hit to load the bases. Chris Kurtz took over as Post 383's pitcher, but he didn't have any measure of success either, as he hit the first batter he faced, gave up another run on an error at third, and then walked two straight batters to force in runs making it a 14-8 game. Dax Groves replaced Kurtz, but three more runs came in before Groves got out of the inning, making it a 14-11 game.
    Fair Oaks loaded the bases in the seventh, but couldn't score, but Charles Eggen added'three more runs in the bottom of the inning to tie things up at 14-14. Post 383 had a chance to score in the ninth inning, as Borcich and Howard walked to start things off. A bunt attempt by Groves forced Borcich at third, however, and then two straight strike outs ended the inning.
    A Matthew Myers hit in the bottom of the ninth with two runners on, scored Adge from third base, giving Charles Eggen the win, 15-14. The two teams combined for 29 runs, 25 hits and 14 errors in a game that lasted just under four .hours.
    Friday, July 18, Post 383 got back on the winning track, with an 8-1 victory over Elk Grove. Fair Oaks led 1-0 after the first inning, adding three more runs in the third inning for a 4-0 lead over Elk Grove. Single runs followed in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings, with Elk Grove scoring its only run of the game in the top of the eighth inning.
    Paul Dosher pitched a complete-game for Fair Oaks, giving up seven hits over nine innings. Erwin led Post 383, going 3-for-4, while Coquillette and Borcich each had two hits.
    Saturday, July 20, Fair Oaks played two games, with each being decided by a single run. In the first, Post 383 came out a 9-8 winner over Charles Eggen, despite commiting five errors in the game.
    As Charles Eggen did to Fair Oaks in their first meeting of the tournament, Post 383 scored a single run in the bottom of the ninth inning for the win. Tim Fuhrman and and Casper each had two hits for Fair Oaks. Fuhrman tripled and had two RBI. Borcich also added three RBI in the game.
    In the second game of the day, Fair Oaks faced Yolo-Post 77 for the championship. Fair Oaks led 4-3 after three innings, but Yolo scored four runs in the fourth inning to take a lead it would hold into the eighth inning. Fair Oaks scored twice in the eighth to tie the game up and eventually send the contest into extra-innings. Yolo scored in the bottom of the llth to win the game and the District 6 championship. Massoth homered in the game for Fair Oaks, and Erwin added two hits.
    "It was a tough one to lose," said Fair Oaks manager Don Barney. "Everyone played really hard. They were really intense. There were a couple of bad calls in the game that hurt us." Barney also said that this is first year that two teams haven't gone on from the district into the area playoffs. "Some of the other districts that only have two or three teams are sending two teams, but we have 15 teams and are sending only one. It's hard to figure."
    Barney said that in all, it was a good season. "We had 23 wins and that isn't a bad summer. We had a great bunch of players. I only wish we could have gone farther."
    Fair Oaks finished the year with a 23-8 record and were the American Legion District 6 American Division champions.
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