Fair Oaks pitcher Sam Moses dives back into first base ahead of a pickoff throw by Haggin Grant's pitcher in the sixth inning of Post 383's second game of a doubleheader on Sunday. Moses got on after Haggin Grant's shortstop booted a ground ball and was unable to make a throw to first. Photo by John Blenkle
Fair Oaks splits to open league season
By Joe Blenkle/Sports Editor
(This article originally appeared in the June 9, 1993 edition of The Orangevale News)
    After several false starts and delays, the Fair Oaks Post 383 American Legion baseball team finally got its regular season underway by splitting a doubleheader with Haggin Grant on Sunday at Rio Linda High School.
    The Fair Oaks team is made up of players from Bella Vista and Casa Roble Fundamental high schools and is coached by Bella Vista baseball coach Don Barney. Due to Casa Roble's involvement with the Sac-Joaquin Section baseball playoffs last week, Post 383 had to delay its scheduled June 2 start to last Sunday and then were almost rained out of the rescheduled games.
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
OVERALL: 3-2    LEAGUE: 1-1
    Playing in weather more fitted to January than June, Fair Oaks split its games, winning the first contest 10-1 and dropping the second game 4-3.
    In the first game, Post 383 scored its first run in the second inning as third baseman Jeff Cooke got a one out walk to start things off. With catcher Shawn Lucchesi at the plate, Cooke stole second. Lucchesi walked, and both runners advanced on a passed ball shortstop Gregg Kenney. Kenney grounded out, scoring Cooke for the run to make it a 1-0 game.
    Fair Oaks scored two more runs in the top of the third as pitcher Mike McDowell led off with a walk. Second baseman Joe Grawey got a hit to center, moving McDowell to second and then right fielder Brandon Muskopf's bunt back to the pitcher advanced both runners. Center fielder Ryan Brennan was intentionally walked to load the bases and then McDowell scored on a ground out by first baseman Brandon Straw.
    A walk to Cooke reloaded the bases and Grawey scored as another walk was issued to Lucchesi, making it a 3-0 game.
    Fair Oaks added three more runs in the fifth as Brennan doubled to left with one out to start things off. Straw hit a ball to shortstop that was booted, allowing him to reach first safely. Cooke's hit up the middle scored Brennan, making it 4-0, and Lucchesi followed with a hit down the right field line to reload the bases.
    A grounder to shortstop by Kenney brought in Straw and a hit by left fielder Scott Kinsey scored Cooke to give hair Oaks a 6-0 lead.
    Post 383 put another run on the board in the sixth as Grawey got a one out, wind assisted hit to center field. Muskopf then doubled to left, sending Grawey to third. Grawey scored on a hit to center by Brennan, making it a 7-0 game.
    Fair Oaks scored its eighth run of the game in the eighth inning as Muskopf doubled to left field with one out. Brennan's ground out moved Muskopf to third, and he scored as Straw got a hit into left for an 8-0 lead.
    Haggin Grant put its only run of the game on the board in the bottom of the inning, but Fair Oaks came back with two more in the top of the ninth for the final 10-1 margin.
    Lucchesi led off with a hit to right field, and then with one out, Kinsey also put a ball into right. McDowell walked to load the bases and another walk to Grawey forced in Lucchesi to make it 9-1. Kinsey scored the final run as Muskopf hit a ball to third that took a bad bounce, allowing the run to come home.
    McDowell pitched a complete game for Fair Oaks allowing only three hits while Post 383 collected 12 of their own.
    Fair Oaks added another 10 hits in the second game, but starting pitcher Chris Read and reliever Sam Moses gave up one run too many as Haggin Grant escaped with a 4-3 win.
    Post 383 took a 1-0 lead in the first as Grawey got on via an error and stole second with shortstop Dave Scott at the plate. Scott struck out, but Grawey moved to third as Brennan hit a ball to second. The throw to first was bad and all runners were safe. A ground out by Straw then scored Grawey for the 1-0 lead.
    Haggin Grant tied the game in the bottom of the inning, but Fair Oaks went back ahead 3-1 in the top of the third. Scott was hit by a pitch to start things off and moved to third on a double to center by Brennan. Straw was also hit by a pitch to load the bases and then with one out, Muskopf's hit to left scored Scott and Brennan for the 3-1 lead.
    Fair Oaks reloaded the bases on a walk to catcher Kent Guthrie, but were unable to bring in any more runs as the next two batters recorded outs. Haggin Grant came right back to tie the game with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
    The game proceeded through the next three innings with neither team scoring a run. And the weather continued to deteriorate deeper into winter as the game progressed.
    An ice cold drizzle began in the sixth and both teams were probably hoping for a quick end to it all. That came in the seventh, as Haggin Grant loaded the bases on an infield hit and two walks and then scored the winning run on a hit to center field to end the game.
    Fair Oaks' scheduling woes continued on Monday, as its rescheduled game from Sunday (Sunday's doubleheader was rescheduled from Saturday) was postponed due to a wet field at Bella Vista. Post 383 will hopefully take the field on Saturday in another rescheduled game, facing Roseville at Roseville High School at 7 p.m. Saturday's scheduled doubleheader will be played on Sunday at Bella Vista beginning at 10 a.m.
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