Also, Live Oak boys golf on a tear entering the final week of
Mount Hamilton Division match play
MORGAN HILL
With their baseball playoff hopes quickly fading, the Live Oak Acorns could be fighting for something else in the final month of the regular season: their Mount Hamilton Division membership.
The Acorns lost 4-2 Monday to Branham and are in eighth place for the start of round-robin conference play (Live Oak visits Willow Glen at 4 p.m. today). The Acorns likely have to win their remaining seven games to become eligible for the Central Coast Section playoffs.
Should the standings stay that way, the Acorns (6-13, 3-11) could be in danger of dropping to the Santa Teresa Division. Sobrato (5-10, 4-9) is one spot ahead of them in seventh place, leaving at least one interesting storyline behind Thursday’s season-series finale between Live Oak and Sobrato at Sarich Field. The Bulldogs won the two previous meetings this year.
Sobrato hosts first place Pioneer at 4 p.m. today.
BOYS GOLF
Live Oak is on a tear entering the final week of Mount Hamilton Division match play.
The Acorns earned a third win in four matches Thursday, beating Santa Teresa 219-235 at Santa Teresa Golf Course.
Sophomore Matt Jarvis shot 6-over-par 41 as medalist, and Marc Noble carded 43 followed by Michael Jarvis, Ben Hartl and Gordon Gunther at 45, all for Live Oak (5-3 league).
The Acorns face Pioneer at 4 p.m. Wednesday in their regular-season finale. With a win, Live Oak can lock up second place in the division and qualify for the May 2 Blossom Valley Athletic League Team Playoffs.
The BVAL Individual Championship tournament is May 3.
SOFTBALL
At 10-10 overall after a solid stretch in nonleague play, Live Oak has returned to Mount Hamilton Division play needing to win four of its final seven league games to make sectionals.
Step 1 is at 3:30 p.m. today at Branham.
The Acorns looked as ready as ever Thursday in beating Santa Teresa 7-1 with an error-free performance in the field and a six-run final inning.
Katie Obbema struck out six and cooled off a Saints team that was 11-4 entering the game.
The score was knotted 1-1 until the final inning, when Pati Monterrey doubled home Rachel Ditta and Priscilla Orona, Grace Hargadon singled in Monterrey, and Katie Obbema, Jenny Obbema and Anisha Patel followed with run-scoring hits for Live Oak (3-4 league).
The Acorns tied it in the third inning with Ditta scoring on a Monterrey bunt that was mishandled.
