The Oak Harbor Oaks have gotten off to a strong start in Quad County Men’s Senior Baseball League play. The Oaks picked up a two-game sweep of Sterling Construction of Stanwood last Sunday to improve to 3-1 on the year.
The squad knocked off Sterling 10-9 in the first game of the twinbill, scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to get the win. Dave Moody led off the inning with a single and then scored on Robert Jesus’ triple. Jim Shulock knocked in Jesus with a single and then came home with the winning run on a wild pitch.
Pitcher Todd Melnick picked up the win in relief, throwing six strong innings in which he struck out eight and allowed no runs. The top of the order came through at the plate for Oak Harbor as Moody went 3-4 with two runs, Jesus was 2-4 with 2 RBI, and Shulock went 2-3 with three runs scored.
The second game was more of a pitchers duel, with the Oaks triumphing 5-3. Melnick picked up his second win of the day, throwing another six innings and allowing just two runs. Shulock pitched the seventh to earn the save. The Oaks jumped out on Sterling, scoring a pair of runs in the first and second innings. Jesus and Ross each had a pair of hits and scored a run, while Melnick added a triple and scored a run to help his own cause.
The team lost their first and only game 16-11 to the Whatcom Mariners on June 2 because of errors. Nine Oaks miscues led to 13 unearned runs for the Mariners.
The reason we lost was because of the errors,” said Ross, who also manages the squad. “The unearned runs killed us.”
Leadoff hitter Mike Ross went 4-5 on the day and drove in four runs while second baseman Randy Lashua went 3-4 with two RBIs on the day.
The squad picked up its first win of the season by forfeit over Anacortes on June 9. The Oaks are one of six teams in the Quad County League, which is for men 28 and older.
The Oaks, who are sponsored by Jet City Equipment Sales and Service and Midway Florist, are back in action this Sunday, taking on the Stanwood A’s at 10 a.m. at the Oak Harbor High School field.
Quad County MSBL 2002 Schedule:
June 2, 2002: Whatcom Mariners 16, Oak Harbor Oaks 10
June 9, 2002: Oak Harbor Oaks 1, Anacortes Bubba-Sudz 0 (forfiet)
June 16, 2002, Game 1: Oak Harbor Oaks 10, Sterling Construction 9
June 16, 2002, Game 2: Oak Harbor Oaks 5, Sterling Construction 3
June 23, 2002: Stanwood A’s at Oak Harbor Oaks, 10 a.m.
June 30, 2002: Team Darling C.P.A., P.S. at Oak Harbor Oaks (DH), 10 a.m.
July 14, 2002: Oak Harbor Oaks at Anacortes Bubba-Sudz (DH), 10 a.m.
July 21, 2002: Oak Harbor Oaks at Stanwood A’s (DH), 10 a.m.
July 28, 2002: Whatcom Mariners at Oak Harbor Oaks (DH), 10 a.m.
July 30, 2002: Oak Harbor Oaks at Sterling Construction, 7 p.m.
Aug. 4, 2002: Oak Harbor Oaks at Team Darling C.P.A., P.S., 10 a.m.
All Oaks games played at Oak Harbor High School
