Oaks Bounce Back into the Win Column

Oaks Bounce Back into the Win Column

By Micah Rodriguez 

On Thursday afternoon, the Conejo Oaks bounced right back into the win column with a 6–4 victory over the Philippines Baseball Group (PBG). First baseman Dylan Jackson continued to be one of the Oaks' hottest hitters, going 2-4 with three RBIs and a walk en route to earning his second Player of the Game honors.

On the mound, Derek Turner made his first start of the summer. After missing the entirety of his junior season at California State Fullerton University with a knee injury, Turner was effective in his first time on the mound in over a year. The right-hander went three innings, surrendering two hits and three runs (one earned) while punching out five. 

"[My] adrenaline [was] pumping, nerves were going," Turner remarked upon taking the mound in live competition for the first time since last spring. "Once I got through that first pitch and hit my spot, I did it again with my second pitch, and I realized I'm just picking up a ball again; I'm good."

For Turner, after endless months of rehab, he was happy to finally find himself back on the diamond. 

"I was just enjoying it all," Turner continued. "That was the most fun I've had on a baseball field in three years. "Knowing that I haven't thrown in over a year, it was very rewarding to get out there and play again and do what I love and just enjoy it."

The Oaks threatened in the bottom of the first inning. Lead-off man and left fielder Caden Stillwell led off with a single into the left-center gap, and shortstop Zach Mora followed with a double just inside the third baseline to put runners on second and third with nobody out. Then, hitting in the three hole, third baseman Matthew Witkow lifted a fly ball to shallow left field, and Stillwell was thrown out at home on a bang-bang play. PBG escaped the inning, and the game remained scoreless heading into the second. 

After stealing momentum in the bottom half of the first thanks to the double play, PGB got the scoring started in the top of the second. PBG strung together three runs on two hits – including a solo shot to left field – and defensive miscues from the Oaks. 

With the Oaks still trailing 3–0 in the bottom of the third, Stillwell led off with a five-pitch walk. With one out, Witkow ripped a triple to center field, and Stillwell would not be denied twice at the plate, sliding headfirst to the inside part of the plate to just beat the tag and put the Oaks on the board. 

With Witkow on first and a 3-2 count, Jackson ripped his second home run of the season off the netting beyond left field. 

"With a guy like Dylan, getting three good swings, as opposed to two, is big," Head Coach David Soliz said regarding Jackson's two-strike approach. "He put his 'A' swing on again with two strikes and he caught one."

Right-hander Matthew Sanders came on in relief of Turner and worked a spotless fourth and fifth inning, facing the minimum and striking out two. 

In the bottom of the fifth, with the score knotted at three, Mora reached on a full-count, one-out walk. Witkow followed with his second hit of the day, a ground ball single up the middle, to put two runners on for Jackson. The right-hander smoked an RBI single to left, scoring Mora from third to put the Oaks ahead, 4–3.

In relief of Sanders, Pierson Howe continued to shut down PBG. The Pepperdine right-hander struck out two and did not allow a baserunner in his first two innings of work.

In the bottom of the seventh, walks to Witkow, Jackson and center fielder Luke Medhurst loaded the bases for pinch-hitter Rider Gordon. PBG induced a ground ball to shortstop and escaped the inning still trailing by one, 4–3. 

PBG got to Howe in the top of the eighth. Howe walked the lead-off batter and he came around to score on an RBI double down the left field line to even the score at four. Howe punched out the next two batters – pushing his total on the day to four – to keep the score tied going into the bottom half. 

Designated hitter Bodie Grieve led off the eighth inning with a walk, and pinch-hitter Bracy Francisco walked to put two runners on with nobody out. Rolling over to the top of the order, Stillwell laid a sacrifice bunt down the third base line, and the ball was thrown away, scoring Grieve and putting runners on the corners. 

Mora, a rising junior at Westmont, knocked an RBI single through the 5-6 hole to push the Oaks' lead to two, 6–4. With two outs, Medhurst worked his second walk of the game and pinch-hitter Danny Aguilera flew out to deep left to end the inning. 

In the top of the ninth, the Oaks turned to last season's closer Braden Lowe. A graduate student at Wagner College, Lowe worked around an error to strike out the side and earn his first save of the season. 

With the win, the Oaks moved to 3–1 on the young season. The Oaks are on the road tomorrow for the first time this summer against the Santa Barbara Foresters at Santa Barbara High School. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.