Post 383's Dax Groves heads toward first base as the ball sails past Sacramento Post 61 first baseman Jon Ross. Groves hit a grounder to third base in the fourth inning of the June 4 game, but the throw to first was bad allowing him to reach first safely. Photo by Joe Blenkle
Post 383 Edges 61 After Losing Late-Inning Lead
By Joe Blenkle/Sports Editor
(This article originally appeared in the June 12, 1991 edition of The Orangevale News)
    Fair Oaks Post 383's American Legion baseball game June 4 against Post 61 at Sacramento City College had a lot in common with the following night's Optimist All-Star game at American River College. Both games saw a lot of pitching changes and both games saw one team blow a big lead in the late innings.
    Fortunately for Fair Oaks, however, and unlike the North squad in the Optimist game, Post 383 held on to win its game 12-11.
    Fair Oaks jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning as shortstop Eric McDowell led things off with a walk.
FAIR OAKS 1991 SCHEDULE
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  
OVERALL: 6-1    LEAGUE: 6-1
    With first baseman Scott Howard at the plate, McDowell stole second and then Howard hit a ball just fair down the right field line to score McDowell from second base. Howard stole second with second baseman Brent Massoth at the plate and then third baseman Mat Erwin hit into a double play that sent Howard to third. Right fielder Chris Borcich then got a hit to center field that scored Howard to make it a 2-0 game.
    Sacramento Post 61 quickly got back in the game in the bottom of the first inning as starting pitcher Clay Crossan gave up two walks and a double to tie the score at 2-2.
    Dax Groves batted for Crossan in the top of the second and came in to do the pitching duties in the bottom of the inning giving up one walk which was later erased on a double play.
    Fair Oaks scored again in the top of the third inning as McDowell led off with a double down the right field line. A wild pitch with Howard at the plate sent McDowell all the way to third and he scored as Howard hit a ground ball to shortstop making it 3-2.
    Chris Kurtz came in to do the pitching in the third inning and was rudely greeted with a smash off his knee by the first batter he faced. Uninjured, Kurtz recorded three straight outs to get out of the inning.
    Fair Oaks didn't score in the top of the fourth and the bottom of the inning saw yet another Post 383 pitcher take the mound as Dale Natividad came in to do the pitching. Natividad sent down Sacramento in order setting up Fair Oaks for a big fifth inning.
    Massoth led off the top of the fifth with a ground ball to shortstop, but beat the throw to first for a hit. Erwin followed with a hit of his own sending Massoth to second and then Borcich popped a bunt just out of reach of the pitcher for another hit that loaded the bases.
    Kurtz then tripled into deep center field near the 415-foot sign, clearing the bases and scoring Massoth, Erwin and Borcich to make it a 6-2 game.
    Brion Casper went in to run for Kurtz and Casper scored on a Matt Borcich hit to left to make it 7-2.
    Mark Haley came in to pitch the bottom of the inning for Fair Oaks, but left the game with an injury after throwing two strikes.
    Tim Fuhrman took over for Haley, striking out the batter Haley had started on with his first pitch. Fuhrman gave up a walk to the next batter, but then got the next two outs to get out of the inning.
    Fair Oaks picked up two more runs in the top of the sixth as Howard led off with a hit down the right field line. With one out, Erwin got a hit past the third baseman that sent Howard to third and Erwin took second as the throw went to third trying to get Howard.
    With two outs and Casper at the plate, a wild pitch allowed Howard to score and advanced Erwin to third. Casper then doubled to right to score Erwin making it a 9-2 game.
    In the bottom of the sixth, Mike McDowell replaced Fuhrman on the mound and gave up two runs to bring the score to 9-4.
    Fair Oaks managed only one base runner in the top of the seventh as Trace Coquillette drew a free pass, but Post 383 still appeared headed to victory as Brett Rapozo took the mound with a 9-4 lead.
    That's when the roof caved in.
    Two consecutive walks by Rapozo led off the inning and then a Vincent Beal home run over the left field fence made it a 9-7 game. Sacramento loaded the bases and scored two more runs before the inning finally ended, tying the score at 9-9 and sending the scheduled seven-inning contest into extra innings.
    Fair Oaks immediately responded to the challenge as Massoth led off the top of the eighth with a hit to left field. Erwin then hit a ball to shortstop that was bobbled. The throw to first was high and went out of play sending Massoth to third and Erwin to second. A walk to Chris Borcich loaded the bases and then with one out, Matt Borcich got a hit through the infield into left field to score Massoth and Erwin to make it an 11-9 game. Rapozo then got a solid single up the middle to score Chris Borcich to give Fair Oaks a 12-9 lead.
    Sacramento came back with two runs in the bottom of the inning, but Post 383 held on for the 12-11 win.
    Saturday Fair Oaks added two more wins as they swept a doubleheader from Roseville. The score of the first game was 10-7 and Post 383 got a 4-3 win in the second. Roseville visited Fair Oaks on Sunday at Bella Vista High School with Post 383 winning again by a score of 18-6.
    Fair Oaks hosts Auburn today at 5 p.m. and El Dorado on Saturday in a doubleheader that begins at 11 a.m. Sunday, Post 383 will play El Dorado at the Folsom Sports Complex beginning at 7 p.m.
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