Gilroy
– The rivalry lives. While coach Barry McDonnell would have
preferred a different outcome, he was more than happy to have an
intense game with Gilroy to get the Acorns in the mood for what was
ahead for the weekend.
Gilroy – The rivalry lives.
While coach Barry McDonnell would have preferred a different outcome, he was more than happy to have an intense game with Gilroy to get the Acorns in the mood for what was ahead for the weekend.
Despite a terrific outing by shortstop Taylor Sutton, Live Oak came up on the short end of a 5-4, nine-inning game.
“I’d rather play a game like this and lose than win 8-0 against a bad team,” McDonnell said. “It was typical in the way it turned out of our games with Gilroy, extra innings and a one-run game. This helps us a lot (heading into the Circle of Champions) because it was a good, high-intensity game.”
Two days later, the Acorns found themselves battling defending Tri-County Athletic League champion Notre Dame of Salinas in their first round Gold Division game.
While Live Oak dropped that game 3-0 to the Spirits, who have won the last 10 Central Coast Section Division III titles, the team should feel good about its play entering the Blossom Valley Athletic League season.
In the wild loss to Gilroy, Sutton had a terrific game for the Acorns, going 4 for 5 and scoring three runs. Brittney Ondich had three hits, including two doubles and two RBIs.
Live Oak led 3-0 after six innings with Tricia Goularte pitching in and out of trouble. Gilroy had nine hits through six innings but nothing to show for it because two runners were thrown out at the plate and another was thrown out at second.
But the Mustangs broke through in the seventh for three runs to send the game into extra innings.
Infield singles by Sutton and McDonald preceded Ondich’s RBI single up the middle for a 4-3 lead in the ninth. But Gilroy got two in the bottom of the inning to cap its comeback win and hand the Acorns their first loss after four wins.
“Live Oak has always been a strong team,” GHS leadoff hitter Lauryn Chris said. “Our games have always gone back and forth. It seems we split with them every year. The teams are always evenly matched.”
The Acorns open Mount Hamilton Division play at 3:30pm today at home against Leigh.
