Fair Oaks' Gregg Kenney collides with Charles Eggen's catcher at home plate during a double steal in the fifth inning of Post 383's game on Sunday. Fair Oaks led in the game arly, but eventually lost by a score of 14-6. Photo by John Blenkle
Post 383 drops two to Charles Eggen
By Joe Blenkle/Sports Editor
(This article originally appeared in the July 7, 1993 edition of The Orangevale News)
    The Fair Oaks Post 383 American Legion baseball team got most of its starters back in time for Sunday's game against Charles Eggen at Rio Americano High School, but the week and a half they spent vacationing in Cancun, Mexico took its toll as Post 383 fell 16-4.
    The loss capped off a frustrating two weeks for Fair Oaks that saw the team lose six of seven games dating back to their June 20 win over El Dorado.
    Fair Oaks' only win since then came Saturday in the second half of its doubleheader against Charles Eggen at Bella Vista High School. In the first game, the still shorthanded Post 383 had hoped some of its missing troops would show up, but after arriving back in the early hours that morning, only a few returnees put in an appearance.
    Eggen went up 2-0 in the first inning of the game off Fair Oaks starter Mike McDowell. Five more runs came across in the second inning, as the Post 832 team jumped out to a 7-0 lead over Fair Oaks.
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
OVERALL: 10-11    LEAGUE: 7-10
    Fair Oaks got one run in the bottom of the second inning as McDowell and right fielder Sam Moses drew consecutive walks with one out. Center fielder Dave Moore then hit a ball to second that was booted, allowing McDowell to score Fair Oaks' first run.
    Eggen upped its lead to 9-1 in the third and then things stayed quiet until the bottom of the sixth when Post 383 scratched out another run. Moore and Brandon Straw drew consecutive no-out walks and shortstop Dave Scott added a hit to load the bases. Catcher Shawn Lucchesi then walked to force in Moore to make it a 9-2 game. Two strike outs and a ground out ruined Fair Oaks' chances at a big inning.
    The team wasn't through, however, as Post 383 rallied to pull within two runs in the eighth inning at 9-7. With one out, Jeff Cooke got a hit to left. Brandon Muskopf followed with a shot off the pitcher's leg that resulted in no play at either first or second. After Eric Brolin flew out to right, McDowell walked to load the bases. Gregg Kenney was then hit by a pitch to force in Cooke. Moore walked to force in Muskopf, and then Straw doubled to right field to score McDowell, Kenney and Moore to make it 9-7.
    Eggen went down in order in the top of the ninth and Fair Oaks came up for its final chance to pull the game out. Lucchesi led off the inning with a double to left field. With one out, Muskopf hit a ball to third that rolled between the fielder's legs and sent Lucchesi all the way to third. Brolin then walked to load the bases. The next batter struck out, but Kenney drew a walk to force in Lucchesi to make it a 9-8 game. Kent Guthrie came in to pinch hit, but struck out, giving Eggen a 9-8 win.
    Fair Oaks fared better in the second game as Chris Read picked up a complete-game win, scattering six hits over seven innings. After trailing 4-0, Fair Oaks tied the game with a four run outburst in the third inning. Three more runs came in the sixth for the final 7-4 margin of victory.
    Muskopf went 3-for-3 in the game, while Cooke added a double and three RBI.
    Sunday, Fair Oaks traveled to Rio Americano High School to face Charles Eggen in the final game of the series. With most of its hitters back, Post 383 looked as if it might put the game away early, but a series of bad breaks (the kind the players and coaches refer to as bad umpiring) led to Fair Oaks' downfall.
    Post 383 went up 1-0 in the first inning as Straw got a two-out hit to center field. Guthrie walked and Scott's hit to center scored Straw for the early lead.
    Charles Eggen tied the game as leadoff batter Shawn Hagopian crashed a Brolin pitch over the left field fence for a home run.
    Fair Oaks went up 3-1 in the third as Straw doubled into center field to start things off. Guthrie then hit a ball to shortstop that was booted, and Straw scored for a 2-1 lead. With one out, Lucchesi got a hit to left. With Kenney at the plate a wild pitch advanced Guthrie to third and Lucchesi to second. After Kenney struck out, Brolin came to the plate and another wild pitch allowed Guthrie to dash for home, scoring on a head first slide into the plate to make it 3-1.
    Eggen came back with a run in the bottom of the inning, but Fair Oaks went back up by two runs in the fifth as Scott walked with one out, stole second and scored on a Kenney grounder to third. The throw to first was high and got away, allowing Kenney to reach safely. Fair Oaks added two more runs in the sixth as Scott Kinsey led off by hitting a ball to short. The throw was bad, however, and Kinsey was on base safely. Ryan Brennan then hit a ball to short with the runner going. No play was made to either base and both runners were safe. With one out, Straw got a double to left scoring Kinsey and Brennan for the 6-2 lead.
    Eggen came back with two runs in the sixth for a 6-5 game, but the seventh proved to be the downfall for Fair Oaks, as Charles Eggen scored seven times for a 12-6 lead. Three consecutive walks prompted a Fair Oaks pitching change from Brolin to Moses. It was then the umpiring calls started going against the Fair Oaks team.
    A ball hit to second and thrown to Moses covering for the apparent out at first was dropped after Moses crossed the bag. The umpire ruled the runner was safe and two runs scored, to make it 7-6. The next batter got a hit to left to score two more runs for a 9-6 lead. Another hit and a hit batsman compounded Fair Oaks' problems, but then a ball hit-by Hagopian to left field was the backbreaker as the field umpire ruled it a home run despite Fair Oaks' claims that it bounced over the fence and should have been only been a double.
    The umpire's failure to run toward the play in the outfield for a closer look compounded the argument and Post 383 coach Don Barney was ejected as he expressed his displeasure at the officiating.
    Eggen added two more runs in the eighth inning and Fair Oaks was shut out the rest of the way, dropping the game 14-6.
    The two losses dropped Fair Oaks' record to 7-10 in the American Legion's American Division, seven games out of first place.
    Post 383, however, is only two games out of third with nine games remaining. The top three teams in each division advance to the American Legion playoffs beginning later this month.
    Fair Oaks was scheduled to host Yolo in a makeup game yesterday and will host Fort Sutter in a 5 p.m. contest today at Bella Vista. Saturday, the team hosts Cordova in a 10 a.m. donbleheader and visits Cordova at Peterson Field on Sunday for another 10 a.m. start.
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