Fair Oaks' Jeff Cooke slides into home head first to score Post 383's first run in Sunday's game against Auburn at Del Oro High School in Loomis. Despite taking a 3-0 lead, Post 383 lost the game 5-3 as Auburn swept its three-game weekend series from Fair Oaks. Photo by John Blenkle
Fair Oaks 'trips' up against Auburn
By Joe Blenkle/Sports Editor
(This article originally appeared in the June 30, 1993 edition of The Orangevale News)
    Playing with half its team absent, the Fair Oaks Post 383 American Legion baseball team was swept by Auburn this past weekend, dropping its American Division record to 6-7 and plunging the team into sixth place in the standings.
    Fair Oaks only had nine players suited up for the opening game of its doubleheader on Saturday at Bella Vista. The rest of Post 383 had the week off for senior trips, resulting in some interesting positioning of the remaining Fair Oaks players.
    Pitchers Tim Fuhrman, Sam Moses and Chris Read patrolled the outfield, while third baseman Jeff Cooke moved to shortstop and shortstop Dave Scott moved to second. Pitcher/first baseman Eric Brolin was somewhat at home at first, as were B.J. Green at third and catcher Shawn Lucchesi.
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
OVERALL: 9-8    LEAGUE: 6-7
    The only regular starter not playing out of position was the pitcher - Mike McDowell.
    As could be expected with no bench and players out of position on the field, Fair Oaks had a rough time keeping up with the Auburn team. Auburn took a 1-0 lead in the first and broke the game open with a five run third inning that put them ahead 6-0. Two more runs followed in the top of the fifth for Auburn for an 8-0 lead.
    Fair Oaks finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth as Read walked with one out and Scott followed with a ground rule double to right center field that scored Read after the ball bounced over the fence.
    Auburn, however, added four more runs in the top of the inning to take a 12-1 lead over Post 383. Fair Oaks came back with a single run in the bottom of the inning as Green sent the ball over the left field fence for a home run. Post 383 added its final run of the game in the eighth inning as Read walked again with one out. Scott followed with a hit to center field and then with two outs, Cooke walked to load the bases. Green was then hit by a pitch to force Read in from third for a 12-3 score.
    Auburn scored one more run in the top of the ninth for the final tally of 13-3.
    Fair Oaks didn't fare any better in the second game, losing to Auburn by a score of 8-2. Post 383 took a 2-0 lead in the first, but it was Auburn's game the rest of the way as they tied the game in the third and went ahead in the fourth en route to the win. Fair Oaks committed five errors in the game.
    Sunday, it looked like Fair Oaks might salvage the final game of the three game series, but Auburn came back for a 5-3 win after trailing for much of the game.
    Post 383 went up 1-0 in the fourth as Cooke walked with one out, went to second on a wild pitch, and then scored on a hit by Green to left field.
    Pitcher Mike Lincoln held Auburn scoreless and Fair Oaks added another two runs in the top of the sixth for a 3-0 lead. Lucchesi led off the inning by getting hit in the helmet by a pitch. Read came in to run for Lucchesi and scored as Cooke powered a home run over the fence just left of the 345-foot sign in left field.
    Auburn, held scoreless through the first six innings, struck swiftly in the seventh, scoring four unearned runs to take a 4-3 lead over Fair Oaks. Auburn added another run in the eighth for a 5-3 advantage.
    Post 383 got its first two runners on in the ninth inning as Lincoln hit back to the pitcher and got on via error and Fuhrman had a hit to left. A double play and strikeout ended the inning, however, and Fair Oaks suffered its third straight loss at the hands of Auburn.
    Post 383 will still be without most of its players when it visits Winters today for a 5 p.m. game at Winters High School.
    Starting catcher Kent Guthrie, who saw limited action on Sunday is back, but Fair Oaks will still be minus most of its starting nine until Saturday, as the players are scheduled to arrive back in Sacramento on a late flight Friday night.
    Saturday, Charles Eggen will visit Fair Oaks for a 9 a.m. doubleheader at Bella Vista High School. Sunday, Fair Oaks travels to Jesuit High School for a single game against Charles Eggen, also scheduled for an early 9 a.m. start.
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