Cool-headed LOHS wins third straight
SAN JOSE — If there was ever an appropriate moment for the sound directors at Leland High School’s softball field to play John Williams’ “Shark” theme from “Jaws,” it was now.
Trailing 3-1 with runners on first base and third with two outs in the seventh inning, the Chargers were on the verge of finally cracking Live Oak High School’s sophomore ace, who, with the help of watertight defense around her, had foiled them at several key moments in the thrilling Mount Hamilton Division battle.
Katie Obbema was still throwing heat late in the afternoon, but she and the Lady Acorns were in present danger Friday after Alyssa Chaulkin’s single up the middle summoned the winning run to the batter’s box. It was a pressure-packed moment that Live Oak manager Alex Sutton wanted to discus with her infield.
As Sutton made her way to the circle, that famously unnerving pattern of E and F notes began playing over the loudspeaker — and LOHS infielders were greeted with a show behind them. Left fielder Kirsten Doting and right fielder Rachel Ditta clasped their hands together like teeth and danced around center fielder Erin Leggett, who put her outstretched hands together over her head to pantomime a dorsal fin.
“I didn’t see it, but I think I heard other girls giggling around me,” Obbema said.
A minute later, Leland’s Jessie Frediani grounded out to Jenna Robertson at third, and unflappable Live Oak moved to 3-1 in the division, a league victory away from matching the team’s totals in 2008 and 2009.
That they are the third-best club in the Mount Hamilton two weeks into the regular season makes the happy-go-lucky Acorns one of the biggest surprise stories this softball season, though the players aren’t exactly stunned. Live Oak was mentally and physically primed for the Blossom Valley Athletic League ‘A’ division after taking its lumps against the top programs in the section during nonleague play.
“When you play against the best, wins are wins; losses are losses, but you’re bound to get better either way,” Sutton said. “How we took the preseason wasn’t about wins and losses. I don’t even think our girls knew what their wins and losses were.”
Teams are at their best when players believe in themselves, their teammates and their training, Sutton added. Put those three together, and you have one close, confident group. The Acorns were error-free Friday.
“We stay pretty loose out there because we’re having fun together, as you can tell,” Leggett said. “That’s the most important thing.”
Obbema struck out seven and walked three to earn her third straight victory, outdueling Lindsay Truan (CG, 9H, 3BB, 2K). Even when Obbema did allow base runners — the Chargers stranded 11 — the powerful righty pitched with peace of mind.
“I know I have a lot of talent around me, so it’s OK if I’m not at my best,” she said. “They made a lot of big plays today.”
Three of the biggest were purely routine but done so under tight circumstances.
Those came in the fifth inning after Leland’s No. 9 hitter Rachelle Tanase led off with a base hit to center, and speedy junior Courtney Krail moved her to second with a bunt single. That’s as far as Tanese got; third baseman Didi Lopez charged a slow grounder hit by Rheanna Rinauro and threw to shortstop Priscilla Orona to get the lead runner out at third. Robertson, then at second, retired Jessica Chaulklin in a 4-3 exchange, and Orona threw out Truan, the cleanup hitter, at first to end the threat.
The Chargers (0-4) put their first two batters on base again in the sixth and broke through with Tanese’s two-out RBI single that made it 2-1, but Obbema struck out Krail on four pitches to escape another jam.
“Katie’s pitching was phenomenal,” Sutton said. “(Priscilla’s) defense has been getting better and better each day. She was magnificent today.
“A handful of us stepped up at the plate, too.”
Senior Hailey Nelson, who played right field and second base, has provided plenty of offense lately, driving in a team-best six runs in league play. Friday, Orona doubled home Nelson in the fourth and scored on Obbema’s single in the seventh. Orona doubled twice and reached base three times, matching Robertson with a 2-for-3 effort. Robertson also scored the first run on a misplayed ball hit by catcher Kayla Cisneroz in the third.
“Someone’s always there to step up,” Nelson said. “Every one of us can hit.”
The rest of the league is finding out. Even co-front-runner Leigh (6-0) had trouble putting away the Acorns on Opening Day two weeks ago at LOHS. The Longhorns needed a seventh-inning rally to prevail 5-4.
That one loss is the only thing standing between the Acorns and a clear path to their first division pennant since 2007. They honor Sutton’s losses-don’t-matter mentality but, like sharks smelling blood, are looking forward to their April 23 rematch at Leigh.
“That Leigh loss does bother us. I won’t lie,” Sutton, whose team will host Evergreen Valley at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, said with a smile. “We know we could have won that one, so we’re excited to play them again. It’s kind of bummer knowing we could be 4-0.”
