The Oak Park Eagles scored nine runs in the third inning and defeated Malibu by a score of 14-7 in a non-league game on Saturday. The Sharks dropped to 5-5 on the season as the Eagles ran their winning streak to six games.
Malibu got on the scoreboard early as Brooks Fitch hit a two-out solo homer to left in the top of the first. Stephen Williams followed with a double, the first of three on the day for the sophomore catcher, but was left on base as Mike Gwyn grounded out to end the inning.
Oak Park countered with an unearned run in the bottom of the first. Shortstop Zach Granowitz reached on an error and immediately advanced to third when Jacob Perrin’s pickoff attempt sailed wide of first base. Granowitz scored when the next batter, Cory Ott, grounded out to Gwyn at third. After Matt Alexander grounded to Fitch at first for the second out of the inning, Zack Thornton and Blair Walters both singled before Perrin struck out Mitch Halpert to end the inning.
Right fielder Sloan Campi reached on a two-out infield hit and stole second in the second inning, but was left stranded.
In the bottom of the second, Oak Park took a 2-1 lead on another unearned run as Garrett Brinkley reached second with one out on second baseman Colbie Bell’s throwing error. Brinkley advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored as Bell misplayed Eric Columbia’s ground ball. Columbia moved to second when Granowitz grounded out. Perrin then hit Ott with a pitch to set up one of the more bizarre plays of the day.
Alexander hit a towering popup that dropped untouched near the mound. Perrin picked up the ball and threw quickly to Bell at second to get Ott, who had rounded the bag too far, for the third out of the inning.
The Sharks seemed poised to take control of the game in the top of the third, but they quickly lost control in the bottom half of the inning.
After Greg Kernodle grounded out to start the third for Malibu, Jared Weinstock lined a double to deep center field. Weinstock moved to third and Fitch reached second on a throwing error by Oak Park third baseman Garrett Brinkley. Williams followed with his second double of the day, a drive that plated both Weinstock and Fitch and chased Eagle starter Mitch Halpert from the game.
With Jake Whitaker on in relief, Williams scored as Gwyn reached on an error by Ott at second base. Perrin followed with a flare to right for a base hit and Bell walked to load the bases. Campi’s grounder to third resulted in a force at the plate on Gwyn for the second out of the inning. Jace Dispenza then walked to drive in Perrin before Kernodle grounded to short for the third out.
All nine Oak Park hitters scored in the bottom of the third. Thornton, leading off, was hit by a pitch. Walters followed with a double to center. Whitaker’s single knocked in Thornton. Doug Deakin was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. A single by Brinkley scored Walters before Columbia’s single to the wall in right knocked in Whitaker and Deakin. Granowitz reached on a throwing error. Brinkley and Columbia then scored when Kernodle allowed a ground ball off the bat of Ott to go through his legs at short. Granowitz then scored as Ott got into a rundown between first and second. Alexander’s single scored Ott.
After Perrin walked Thornton, with eight runs in and nobody out, Coach Gallo made the call to the bullpen for Wilder Philipson. Walters greeted Philipson with a base hit, his second of the inning. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Whitaker plated the ninth run of the inning with the first out. Philipson then struck out Deakin and Brinkley to drive a stake through the heart of the inning that would not die.
Weinstock singled to lead off the fourth for the Sharks. When Fitch walked, it appeared that Malibu might be ready to chip away at Oak Park’s 11-5 lead. But Williams struck out and Nate Schoenbrun, running for Weinstock, was doubled off second when Gwyn flied to center.
Philipson walked Columbia to lead off the fourth, but promptly turned a comebacker off the bat of Granowitz into a 1-6-3 double play. Ott popped to short to end the inning.
Malibu went quietly in the fifth, as did the Eagles, thanks to another double play.
In the top of the sixth, Dispenza led off with a walk. Kernodle replaced Dispenza on a fielder’s choice and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Schoenbrun struck out, Fitch walked. Williams then drove a fastball from reliever Dave Schmidt to the deepest part of the park for a two-run double that made the score 11-7 and forced the Eagles to bring on ace Zack Thornton to pitch.
The Eagles capitalized on Philipson’s control problems to score three more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Down 14-7, the Sharks went in order in the top of the seventh as Thornton sealed the win for Oak Park.
The Sharks face three more non-league opponents before resuming Frontier League play against Oaks Christian on Tuesday, April 4. Next up is a home game against Fillmore on Tuesday, March 28.
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