July 19, 1995

Fair Oaks' Andy Tews slides into third on a fourth inning steal against Kennedy-Valley last week. Tews got on via a base hit to right, stole second and then stole third, but was unable to score. Fair Oaks won the game by a score of 4-3. Photo by John Blenkle

F.O. Post 383 sweeps Citrus Heights
By Joe Blenkle/Sports Editor
(This article originally appeared in the July 19, 1995 edition of The Orangevale News)

It seems hard to believe that after 27 baseball games, Fair Oaks Post 383's American Legion baseball team would have their fate decided by one game. In reality, perhaps it was the final three games, but Post 383's sweep of Citrus Heights over the weekend not only lifted them into an American Division co-championship - from three games back in the standings - but also gave them them the No. 1 seed in the upcoming District 6 playoffs which begin today in Woodland.
By virtue of their top-seed, Fair Oaks will sit out the first round and will begin play Thursday at 6:30 p.m. against the survivor of the opening round's single-elimination tourney opener between Charles Eggen and Yolo. On the other side, Post 61 will play the winner of a Citrus Heights vs. Southside matchup at 2:30 p.m.

American Legion - Post 383
Date	Opponent	Score
5-31	Fort Sutter	W, 15-6
6-3	Charles Eggen	L, 8-6
6-3	Charles Eggen	W, 5-4
6-4	Charles Eggen	W, 12-6
6-8	Roseville	W, 12-8
6-10	El Dorado	W, 9-6
6-10	El Dorado	W, 7-5
6-11	El Dorado	W, 13-2
6-18	Cordova	L, 6-2
6-18	Cordova	L, 2-0
6-21	Post 61	L, 3-1
6-23	Cordova	L, 3-2
6-24	Haggin Grant	W, 10-7
6-24	Haggin Grant	W, 14-7
6-25	Haggin Grant	W, 19-3
6-28	Winters	W, 22-7
7-1	Elk Grove	W, 16-0
7-1	Elk Grove	W, 6-4
7-2	Elk Grove	W, 13-3
7-5	Yolo	L, 4-0
7-8	Auburn	W, 10-3
7-8	Auburn	W, 5-3
7-9	Auburn	W, 10-3
7-12	Kennedy-Valley	W, 4-3
7-15	Citrus Heights	W, 6-5
7-15	Citrus Heights	W, 9-8
7-16	Citrus Heights	W, 10-6
OVERALL: 21-6 LEAGUE: 21-6

    Fair Oaks beat Charles Eggen in two out of three meetings this season, but lost to Yolo 4-0 July 5. The loss stopped a seven-game winning streak for Fair Oaks, but the team promptly rebounded, winning their final seven games of the season to finish out the year at 21-6.
    Last Wednesday, Post 383 squeezed by visiting Kennedy-Valley 4-3 to keep their chances at the Division title alive. After KV took a 1-0 lead in the first, Fair Oaks came back to lead 2-1 in the bottom of the inning. Right fielder Ryan Case led off with a ground ball to short, but a high throw put him on base. Center fielder Kevin McKeown followed with a shot to short resulting in no play and two runners on. Third baseman Jason Wilkerson then hit a ground rule double on the first pitch to score Case, but he was later called out as first baseman Eric Henrikson hit a ball to short and Wilkerson ran into the fielder as he was catching the ball. McKeown was left at third on the play and then left fielder Andy Tews' fly to right field scored McKeown for a 2-1 lead.
    Kennedy-Valley scored in the top of the second to tie the game at 2-2, but Fair Oaks came back to make it a 3-2 game in the bottom of the inning. Pitcher Brian Malchow started things off with a double to left and with second baseman Reagan Reynolds at the plate, moved to third on an errant pickoff to second. Reynold's popped out to deep short, but catcher Shawn Lucchesi's ground ball to second scored Malchow to make it 3-2.
    Fair Oaks scored again in the fourth as Tews recorded a single. With Garrett Schoenfelder at the plate and one out, Tews stole second. Schoenfelder flew out, but the next batter, Reynolds, followed with a hit after a Tews steal of third, and Tews scored making it 4-2. Schoenfelder, who replaced Malchow on the mound in the top of the fourth, gave up a run in the top of the fifth for the final 4-3 score. Jarred Hunt came in to pitch the sixth with Tews seeing action in the seventh to close out the win.
    Saturday, Fair Oaks visited San Juan High for their final series of the year with Citrus Heights. With Charles Eggen nipping at their heels and Fair Oaks only three games back of Citrus Heights with three left to play, any possible number of scenarios presented themselves in this final series. Fortunately for Fair Oaks, the most favorable one played out, as Post 383 took two one-run games on Saturday and came back for a 10-6 victory on Sunday to clinch the No. 1 spot in the playoffs in the American Division.
    In Saturday's opener, Tews took to the mound against Citrus Heights' Doug Dent. It was pretty much a pitcher's dual in the early going despite Fair Oaks loading the bases with two outs in the second. Neither team scored until the sixth when Post 383 brought in their first run. Reynolds hit a two-out home run to left to give Fair Oaks a 1-0 lead.
    But Dent came back in the bottom of the inning to club a three-run shot to give Citrus Heights a 3-1 advantage.
    In the seventh, Lucchesi's leadoff hit to center and an error allowing him to take second drove Dent from the game and Fair Oaks scored three runs to take a 4-3 lead. With Case at the plate, a wild pitch sent Lucchesi to third. Case hit a ball to short. The throw came home surprising everyone, and Lucchesi was out at the plate. With McKeown up, Case was thrown out stealing second. McKeown walked and took second on an alert bit of base running as the catcher couldn't find the ball to the side of home plate. Wilkerson followed with a hit to right to score McKeown to make it 3-2, followed by a walk to Tews. Henrikson then doubled to center scoring Wilkerson and Tews to make it a 4-3 game.
    Citrus Heights tied it back up in the bottom of the inning, but Fair Oaks went back in front for good in the top of the eighth. Reynolds walked to start things off and moved to second on Malchow's bunt to third. He then scored on Lucchesi's hit to center to make it 5-4, with Lucchesi taking second on the throw home. Yet another Citrus Heights pitcher took the mound, but he couldn't stop Fair Oaks either, as Case hit a slow roller to third and beat it out for a hit, with Lucchesi moving to third. With McKeown at the plate, Case stole second. McKeown then sent a high fly ball foul behind first base. It was caught, but Lucchesi was able to tag and score to make it a 6-4 game.
    Stu Goodall took the mound for Fair Oaks in the ninth. A walk, wild pitch and hit brought home one run, but Goodall got the next batter to ground out and struck out the next two to end the game with a 6-5 Fair Oaks win.
    Game 2 turned into a slugfest, as Fair Oaks scored all nine of their runs in the first four innings in a 9-8 win. Jarred Hunt pitched the top four innings, with relief help from Jim Ott and another good performance by Goodall as the closer. Case had two home runs and McKeown, Reynolds and Henrikson all added extra base hits in the win as Fair Oaks crept to within one game of Citrus Heights in the standings.
    Schoenfelder got the call to the mound in Sunday's finale, overcoming some early difficulties to hold on for a complete-game 10-6 win.
    Citrus Heights took a 1-0 lead in the first, upping it to 3-0 in the second.
    Fair Oaks got one run back in the second as Tews hit a one out double to center and then scored on Dennis Hunt's hit to left center to make it 3-1. Citrus Heights added a run in the third, but Fair Oaks answered back in the fourth on a Lucchesi home run over the left field fence to make it 4-2.
    The roof caved in on Citrus Heights in the sixth as Wilkerson started things off with a hit to center and took second as the ball was bobbled. With Henrikson at the plate, a balk sent Wilkerson to third and he scored on Henrikson's hit to right. A new pitcher greeted Tews, but he walked, followed by a walk to Lucchesi to load the bases. Dennis Hunt then grounded to short. The throw went to second for the force, but a high throw to first prevented the double play and Henrikson and Lucchesi scored to make it 5-4. Malchow walked, and then with two outs, Case blasted a home run over the left field fence to score Hunt and Malchow ahead of himself for an 8-4 lead.
    Fair Oaks added two more in the seventh as Wilkerson got a ground rule double to right as the ball rolled under the fence. Henrikson followed with a slow roller to third, beating the throw for an infield hit. Tews bunted the runners over and then Lucchesi's grounder to second scored Wilkerson to make it 9-4. Hunt followed with a hit to left to score Henrikson, making it a 10-4 Fair Oaks lead.
    Three hits, including a double in the ninth gave Citrus Heights its final two runs in the 10-6 Fair Oaks victory.
    Post 383 Notes: Jason Wilkerson was named to the 1995 All-State Junior Team by Cal Hi Prep Magazine. Shawn Lucchesi has received a $500 college scholarship from the Sacramento Baseball Bushers Association.
    Fair Oaks will be well represented at the American Legion All-Star Game, Sunday, July 23 at 7 p.m. in Woodland. Coach Don Barney has been named to the American Division squad, along with players Jason Wilkerson (3B), Kevin McKeown (OF), Eric Henrikson (1B), Brian Malchow (OF), Andy Tews (P), Jarred Hunt (P) and Shawn Lucchesi (C).

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