Post 383's Jason Currier dives back into first base ahead of a pickoff throw in the fourth inning of Saturday's first game of a doubleheader against Charles Eggen. Currier got on base on an error as Post 383 went up 5-1 in the inning. Fair Oaks later lost the game 8-6, but came back to win the second game of the twin bill 5-4 and also picked up a win in Sunday's solo contest, 12-6. Photo by John Blenkle
Fair Oaks off to fast start in Legion
By Joe Blenkle/Sports Editor
(This article originally appeared in the June 7, 1995 edition of The Orangevale News)
    With the prep baseball season barely over, members of Bella Vista and Casa Roble's baseball teams have combined to form the Fair Oaks American Legion Post 383 baseball team. As would be expected when you combine two teams that went to the Section playoffs, Fair Oaks is off to a fast start with a 3-1 record in their opening week of play. Post 383's mark could have well been 4-0, except for Charles Eggen's late comeback in the opening game of a doubleheader on Saturday.
    Post 383 started off the season one week ago with a game against Fort Sutter. The contest was originally scheduled for William Land Park, but the two teams were forced to move to Hiram Johnson High School after a scheduling conflict put a Little League team on the field at the same time. Where they played didn't seem to matter, as Fair Oaks pounded Fort Sutter for a 15-6 win.
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
OVERALL: 3-1   LEAGUE: 3-1
    Fort Sutter touched Post 383 starter Brian Malchow for a lone run in the first inning, but that was the last time they would see the lead as Post 383 jumped on Fort Sutter for seven runs in the second. Casa Roble's Dennis Hunt led off the inning with a ground ball to short that was booted, allowing him safe passage to first. Malchow followed with a hit to left that was bobbled, allowing both runners to advance. Garrett Schoenfelder followed with another hit, sending the ball into right to score both Hunt and Malchow. Trevor Rubly walked and then Jim Ott bunted. The pitcher fielded the ball, throwing home, but the ball was dropped and Schoenfelder scored to make it 3-1. Reagan Reynolds got a hit to left to score Rubly. The ball took a bad hop, sending Reynolds to second. Shawn Lucchesi then flew to center, with Ott tagging and scoring to make it a 5-1 game. Kevin McKeown followed with a hit to third that went right between the third baseman's legs and into left field, scoring Reynolds. The final run scored on Hunt's hit to right to bring home McKeown for a 7-1 lead.
    Malchow put down Sutter in order in the second and Fair Oaks scored two more in the top of the third. Schoenfelder's fly to left dropped in and he made all the way to second on the play. With Rubly at the plate, a pickoff try at second went into center field and Schoenfelder came all the way around to score. Rubly got an infield hit, beating a throw from short and then with two out, Lucchesi walked and McKeown got a hit to left to score Rubly to make it 9-1.
    Ott came in to pitch the bottom of the third, sending Fort Sutter down in order. In the top of the fourth, Fair Oaks scored two more runs off a new Fort Sutter pitcher. Hunt and Malchow led off with back-to-back walks and Schoenfelder was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Rubly walked to force in Hunt to make it 10-1 and then Ott's ground ball to second scored Malchow to make it 11-1.
    Fort Sutter went down in order again in the fourth and despite loading the bases again off a new Sutter pitcher, Fair Oaks didn't score when they came to bat in the fifth. Rubly came in to pitch in the bottom of the inning, allowing a leadoff triple and eventually a run to make it 11-2. Stu Goodall took the mound in the sixth for Fair Oaks, recording three straight outs, two by strikeout.
    Hunt and Jason Currier walked to lead off the seventh forcing yet another Fort Sutter pitching change. The new hurler gave up a hit to Schoenfelder, scoring Hunt and Currier for a 14-2 lead. Rubly was hit by a pitch and Reynolds reached base on an error after hitting a ground ball to third, but was picked off first with Goodall at the plate. Goodall walked and then Andy Tews sent a hit to right that was bobbled allowing Rubly to score Fair Oaks' final run.
    Justin Brewer came in to pitch the final inning for Fair Oaks, struggling on the mound as he gave up a walk and three consecutive hits. Fort Sutter scored four runs in the inning for the final 15-6 score.
    Saturday, Fair Oaks hosted Charles Eggen in a doubleheader at Bella Vista, although the game was really Eggen's home game. Charles Eggen usually plays its home contests at Jesuit High, but work on their field has made Eggen a road team early in the season.
    Fair Oaks appeared to be in control of this game early on behind the pitching of Tews, scoring twice in the first and once in the second for a 3-0 lead. Reynolds led off the first getting hit by a pitch and moved to second on a bunt by Lucchesi. He took third on McKeown's ground ball out and then Jason Wilkerson plugged a home run over the right field fence for a 2-0 lead. In the second, Malchow showed his home run trot with a leadoff homer over the right field fence. Eggen got one run back in the bottom of the second, but Fair Oaks made it a 5-1 game in the fourth with two more runs.
    Wilkerson was hit by a pitch to start things off and then went all the way to third on Tews' grounder to short as the throw got away at first. Malchow then flew out to center, allowing Wilkerson to tag and score. Schoenfelder then hit a double to left center, just out of reach of the center fielder to score Tews for a 5-1 lead.
    Eggen added a run in the fifth and another in the sixth to cut the margin to 5-3, but Fair Oaks stretched its lead back to three in the seventh with a single run.
    McKeown got a one out hit to left and then went to second on Wilkerson's grounder to short that was booted. A wild pitch with Tews at the plate sent McKeown to third and then Tews' fly to right scored McKeown for a 6-3 lead.
    Eggen stormed back in the eighth, however, scoring five times for an 8-6 lead. Tews left midway through the inning in favor of Devon Nicholson, but Nicholson didn't have much success either, as Eggen took its two run advantage.
    Fair Oaks went out in order in the top of the ninth for its first loss of the season. Post 383 came back in the second game of the doubleheader, however, for a 5-4 win over Eggen.
    Eggen carried a 2-1 lead into the third when Fair Oaks exploded for four runs and a 5-2 lead. Charles Eggen rallied in the bottom of the seventh for two runs to bring the score to 5-4, falling just short in its comeback attempt.
    The two teams played again in a single game on Sunday, with Post 383 pounding Eggen 12-6. After a leadoff walk to Reynolds in the first inning, McKeown slammed a home run over the left center field fence for a 2-0 lead. Nicholson, Fair Oaks' starter, gave up one run in the third, but Fair Oaks stretched its advantage to 4-1 in the fourth as Ryan Case got a one out hit to center. Lucchesi followed with a home run over the left field fence for the 4-1 score. Post 383 struck again in the fifth with two more runs as Wilkerson got a one out single to start things off. Tews followed with a hit to right and then with two out and Case at the plate, Tews stole second. The throw to second by the catcher went into center field and Wilkerson came home to score to make it 5-1. Case hit a grounder to third, but a low throw to first got away and went out of play sending Tews home to make it 6-1. Eggen closed the gap in the sixth with four runs for a 6-5 deficit, forcing Nicholson from the mound in favor of Schoenfelder.
    Eggen also placed a new pitcher on the mound in the bottom of the sixth, but Fair Oaks promptly scored three runs off him for a 9-5 lead. With two outs, Reynolds walked, McKeown got a hit to right and Wilkerson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Tews then cleared the bases with a double to right center to up the lead to 9-5.
    Fair Oaks scored three more runs in the eighth as Schoenfelder led off with a double to right center. Reynolds followed with a walk and then McKeown bunted toward the pitcher. The ball was fielded cleanly, with the pitcher looking at third. He hesitated a moment too long before throwing to first and McKeown beat the throw to load the bases. A passed ball with Wilkerson at the plate scored Schoenfelder. Then Wilkerson got a hit to left to score Reynolds. The throw in got away and McKeown also scored to make it a 12-5 game.
    Eggen came back with one run in the top of the ninth for the final 12-6 margin. The win gave Fair Oaks a 3-1 record, good for a third place tie with Cordova in the Legion's American Division. Citrus Heights is in first with a 4-0 mark, followed by Auburn at 3-0.
    Tomorrow, Fair Oaks hosts Roseville at Bella Vista in a 5 p.m. start. Saturday, El Dorado visits for a 10:30 a.m. doubleheader start, and Sunday, Fair Oaks travels to Placerville's El Dorado High for a single game with El Dorado beginning at 11 a.m.
    NOTES: Casa Roble and Bella Vista placed a number of players on the CAL's All-League team, including Jason Chaney, Devon Nicholson, Mark Scott, Ryan Case, Kevin McKeown and Dennis Hunt for the Rams and Jason Wilkerson, Shawn Lucchesi, Andy Tews, Reagan Reynolds and Brian Malchow for the Broncos. Lucchesi and Tews were also named to the Optimist All-Star team. That game takes place today at American River College.
Return to 1995 OV News Coverage