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Published on 08/25/1999 All articles from this issue

Oaks end their season with a split

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By Pete Borello / Town Crier Staff Writer

The Palo Alto Oaks closed out their Stan Musial League season by splitting a doubleheader with the Cupertino Knights Aug. 15 at Baylands Park in Palo Alto.

The Oaks, a summer league baseball team with area players ranging in age from 17 to 20, finished with an 11-9 record to tie Cupertino for fifth place in the 10-team Stan Musial League.

The Oaks clobbered Cupertino 14-4 in the first game of the doubleheader, racking up 14 hits. Shortstop Gabe Duran of Fremont High went 4-for-4 and hit for the cycle (single, double, triple and home run). Catcher Rudy Martinez was 3-for-4 and Mountain View High graduate Mark Ohara went 2-for-4.

The hitting rampage continued in the first inning of the second game as Palo Alto scored eight runs. However, the lead would not hold up.

"We got cocky," said Oaks manager Tony Makjavich. "Then we fell apart."

The Knights battled back in the sixth inning with six runs. Then in the seventh, Cupertino went up 10-8 by scoring four runs off reliever Ben Lewis, who started and won the first game.

Makjavich said he had no choice but to use Lewis again because only 10 players showed up that day and there was little pitching depth.

The stunned Oaks tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh and final inning, but they were unable to muster more than one run.

As for how the season went, Makjavich had mixed feelings.

"It was so-so," he said. "If we had our full team every week we could have won the league. But I was happy with the kids - they were a good bunch."