After three straight one-run losses in Spring Break tourney
play, following a tough streak in league play, the Live Oak High
baseball team was in dire need of a confidence-restoring vict-ory
this week. And, the Acorns got one from an unlikely source,
Tri-County Athletic League rival and league-leader Palma. The
Chieftains swept the Acorns out of first place in league and
dropped them into third two weeks ago. Live Oak pounded the
Chieftains 12-2 in the finale of the West Coast Classic at
Archbishop Mitty High on Thursday in a game ended after five
innings due to the 10-run
“mercy” rule. “Hopefully, we’ll look back on this as the turning
point,” Acorn coach Mark Cummins said. “We put it all together.
This gives us momentum going into league.”
After three straight one-run losses in Spring Break tourney play, following a tough streak in league play, the Live Oak High baseball team was in dire need of a confidence-restoring vict-ory this week.
And, the Acorns got one from an unlikely source, Tri-County Athletic League rival and league-leader Palma. The Chieftains swept the Acorns out of first place in league and dropped them into third two weeks ago.
Live Oak pounded the Chieftains 12-2 in the finale of the West Coast Classic at Archbishop Mitty High on Thursday in a game ended after five innings due to the 10-run “mercy” rule.
“Hopefully, we’ll look back on this as the turning point,” Acorn coach Mark Cummins said. “We put it all together. This gives us momentum going into league.”
Live Oak (5-3 in league, 9-9 overall) returns to league play next week, hosting second-place Gilroy in a home-and-home series beginning at Live Oak on Tuesday.
On Thursday, the Acorns jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the first two innings. In the first, Doug Porras and Dave Newton smashed back-to-back homers. Then, in the second, Live Oak scored seven runs on four hits and two Palma errors.
Live Oak added its final run on Daniel Salinas’ RBI double to score Steve Conner and end the game. Salinas had three hits, Newton added four hits and two RBIs, and Kyle Mosbrucker had two hits and three RBIs for Live Oak.
Acorn starter Eric Abbott got the win.
In earlier tourney action, Live Oak dropped its opener 10-9 to Moorpark at PAL Stadium on Tuesday.
The Acorns fell behind 6-0 before rallying to within a run in the final inning and getting the tying run into scoring position before losing.
On Wednesday, Live Oak lost two more one-run games, dropping an 8-7 decision to Oak Grove and falling 10-9 to Sacred Heart Prep at Mission College.
Against Oak Grove, the Acorns again found themselves in a 6-0 hole early in the game before rallying.
Porras had an RBI triple for Live Oak.
Against Sacred Heart, Live Oak actually had a big lead after scoring six runs in the first inning but couldn’t hold on.
Conner had a three-run homer for the Acorns.
Live Oak’s Andrew Cummins was named to the all-tourney team. Cummins, a junior second baseman and leadoff hitter, had seven hits, including three doubles, three RBIs and six runs scored in four games.
