By Vincent Liu

Town Crier Correspondent

With their venerable coach recovering from an illness, the Palo Alto Oaks had two chances to “win one for the Gipper” last Sunday.

They came up short - both times.

The local semipro baseball team closed its Stan Musial summer baseball season by losing a doubleheader - and the San Jose WBA league title - to Fontanetti’s of San Jose. The Oaks fell 17-5 and 5-2 at the Baylands Athletic Center in Palo Alto.

All the Oaks needed was a split of the twin bill to give head coach Tony Makjavich a great get-well gift: a league championship.

After losing the first game, the Palo Alto players to a man vowed to win the second contest for the man they affectionately call “Big Tony.”

For the second time in three weeks, the Oaks were betrayed by their interior defense. Crucial infield throwing errors in the third and fourth innings of the second game resulted in four of the five runs being unearned.

Down 5-0 in the sixth inning, Palo Alto got on the scoreboard when third baseman Jewell Taylor slammed a change-up far over the left field fence for a two-run homer. It was too little too late for the Oaks.

It was also of little consolation to a dejected Taylor whose two throwing errors opened a floodgate of runs and spoiled a strong pitching effort by southpaw starter Mike Gillen.

Other than Taylor’s long ball, Palo Alto batters had little success at the plate. They surely missed their primary power source, Gabe Duran, the team’s leader in doubles, triples, home runs and RBIs. Duran had to return to college in Missouri.

After tossing an abbreviated seven-inning perfect game the previous week against Cupertino, starter Ben Lewis got shelled in the first game.

“I didn’t get ahead on my count and my pitches were up,” Lewis said. “I didn’t bring my A game today.”

According to Makjavich, Lewis’ perfect game is the only one he has witnessed in his 48-year coaching career with the Oaks.

Three days after suffering a blood infection that landed him in a medical clinic, the 89-year old geriatric marvel returned to the field and was his usual feisty self.

Greg Mugg, the playing coach of Fontanetti’s who has coached against Makjavich for 12 years, called him an icon.

“He knows baseball and he’s the custodian of history,” Mugg said. “Every year he puts together a team that rallies around him, the centerpiece.”

Niceties only go so far. In the first game, Mugg mugged the Oaks with

two homers, one a grand slam, and eight RBIs.