By Pete Borello

Town Crier file photo Mike Rivera of the Palo Alto Oaks slides safely into second base.

The Palo Alto Oaks entered the playoffs last weekend with the goal of getting farther than last year. They exited without even matching what they accomplished in 2005.

The semipro baseball team didn’t survive beyond the second day of the Northern California Sectional, which it won a year ago. After splitting two games Friday, the Oaks lost Saturday’s opener to end their run in the double-elimination tournament in Sacramento.

“We were hoping to do at least a little better than last year, but we came up a little short,” said a disappointed Steve Espinoza, head coach and general manager of an Oaks team that includes graduates of St. Francis and Homestead highs. “We didn’t play as well as we could have.”

The Oaks began the sectional with a 7-3 setback to the Sacramento Scorch, a team it routed 10-3 in last year’s tourney.

“We were a little flat on Friday,” said Espinoza, who returned to the dugout after Pete Colombo stepped down as coach for personal reasons three weeks ago. “But they were vastly improved this year and were at the top of their game. We were a little flat and they took advantage.”

The coach conceded that leaving for Sacramento at 6 a.m. to make it in plenty of time for the noon game might have played into the Oaks’ lack of energy.

They were more alert later in the day in beating the East Bay Giants 6-0. Starter Matt Campbell preserved his undefeated record (10-0), allowing two hits and striking out six batters over five innings.

“‘Lights out’ comes to mind,” Espinoza said describing Campbell, who hasn’t lost a start in three years with the team.

Offensively, the Oaks “got a little bit from everybody,” Espinoza said. Gabe Duran went 3-for-3 with three RBIs; Max Pinto tripled, singled and scored twice; and Mike Rivera tripled, drove in a run and scored once.

The Oaks faced a win-or-go-home situation Saturday, and the Oakland Expos sent them packing with a 4-2 decision. Starter Jason Kleinhoffer pitched well, according to Espinoza, but didn’t get enough support behind him.

“None of the runs were earned,” said the coach, a Mountain View resident. “We booted the ball around. We made three errors and they all led to runs.”

Kleinhoffer allowed just three hits over 4 2/3 innings, though he also surrendered three walks and hit a batter.

The Oaks scored in the first inning on a double by Sean Scott that drove in Durell Williams, who opened the game with a single. Palo Alto’s other run came in the fourth after Duran singled and came home on a hit by Shane Parsons. The Oaks out-hit the Expos 7-3 in the game.

Palo Alto, which successfully defended its league title in the San Jose Western Baseball Association, ends the season with a 23-6 record.