Acorns overpower opponents, sweep pool play action at Circle of
Champions tourney
Salinas – Live Oak broke out the big lumber, er, alumninum, and coasted into the Gold Flight of the Annie Lynch Memorial Circle of Champions over the weekend at Salinas Sports Complex.
The tournament-host Acorns jumpstarted their strong run in the pool play round with a come-from-behind 5-2 win Friday over Salinas and continued with wins Saturday over Harbor (18-5) and Half Moon Bay (7-0).
“The gals are really hitting the ball great,” said Live Oak coach Barry McDonnell, whose team also rallied for a 7-5 win over North Salinas on Thursday and is now 4-0 on the season.
After scoring a run in the top of the first against Salinas in the tourney opener, the Acorns watched the Cowboys take the lead with two-run homer in the bottom half of the inning.
But in the top of the third, Live Oak’s Sarah Locarnini blasted a solo home run to tie the game at 2-2 and the Acorns scored twice more in the inning on an RBI single by Sabrina LaCorte and an RBI double from Brooke Willis to make it 4-2.
“That pumped us up a little bit,” McDonnell said of the home run. “But pretty much, these girls are pumped up all the time.”
Live Oak added an insurance run in the seventh and Tricia Goularte pitched a complete-game five-hitter for the win. Locarnini went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, and banged out two doubles in addition to her home run.
“You always want to get that first win (in the tournament),” McDonnell said Friday. “The top three teams in each pool move on so if you win that first game, you’ve got a pretty good shot at moving on.”
While the first win virtually assured the Acorns of not being eliminated after pool play, the next two clinched its spot in the Gold Flight and will set Live Oak up against the best competition in the tournament. There are still six games left to be played in pool play Friday, which will determine who the Acorns will face Saturday.
Against Harbor, Live Oak and sophomore pitcher Kelly Hillman found themselves facing an early 5-2 deficit. But Hillman settled down and the Acorns offense exploded. Seniors Kelly McDonald and Taylor Sutton both blasted home runs in the lopsided win.
In the final action of the weekend, Goularte got the start again and fired the complete-game shutout.
Senior Brittney Ondich had a pair of doubles and four RBIs in the two games. Willis had four hits Saturday and LaCorte had a strong day at the plate, which included an RBI sacrifice.
Before resuming tournament action, the Acorns will have a road contest against former league rival Gilroy at 3:45pm Thursday.
“I’m really looking forward to that game,” McDonnell said. “It’s good test to really see where we stand.”
The Mustangs are off to a strong start to this season and own wins over defending Central Coast Section Division I runner-up Watsonville and Division II champion Archbishop Mitty.
