Morgan Hill
– In a game of big innings, Live Oak had the biggest as it used
a nine-run fourth Tuesday to defeat Leland 16-7 in a Blossom Valley
Athletic League Mt. Hamilton Division contest.
Morgan Hill – In a game of big innings, Live Oak had the biggest as it used a nine-run fourth Tuesday to defeat Leland 16-7 in a Blossom Valley Athletic League Mt. Hamilton Division contest.
After the Acorns scored four runs in the first and grabbed a 6-0 lead after two innings, the Chargers scored six runs in the fourth to tie the game. And then Live Oak’s fourth-inning explosion broke the game open.
All of the runs came before the Chargers could even record an out.
Cameron Willis led off with a walk, a bunt by Eddie Gomez was misplayed by the pitcher and Matthew Cummins was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Eddie Perez then delivered a two run-single .
Cummins stole third base and scored on a passed ball. Tony Austin and Alika Bantilan both walked to load the bases and each runner advanced a base on wild pitch, with Perez scoring.
Stephen Smith followed with an RBI single before Tim O’Rourke walked to reload the bases. Connor Sutton singled home and Smith scored on a wild pitch with all runners advancing a base. Willis finished off the rally by singling home two runs to make it 15-6.
“It was great to see the way we responded after letting Leland back in the game,” Live Oak coach Mark Cummins said.
Perez led an Acorns’ 12-hit attack by going 3 for 4 with four RBIs and two runs scored.
Willis was 2 for 2 with two walks and three runs, and Austin was 2 for 4 with a double and two RBIs. Interestingly, Austin’s two-bagger was the only extra base hit for Live Oak (11-4 overall, 8-3 BVAL).
Matthew Cummins went 1 for 1 with two hit by pitches and a walk, and he scored three runs. Gomez scored two runs.
Blaine Sutton sailed through three innings before Leland (7-8 overall, 6-5 BVAL) used its big inning to tie the game.
Willis came on in relief and pitched 1 1/3 innings to get the win. Connor Sutton finished with two scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out three.
Live Oak is off until 3:30pm Thursday when it is at Los Gatos in a non-league game. The Wildcats are 9-4 overall with their losses by a combined six runs.
Alumni Game note
According to coach Mark Cummins, there is a good chance former major league pitcher Brandon Villafuerte (Class of 1993) will pitch a few innings for the Alumni team on Saturday.
“It will be great to see Brandon popping his fastball again on the Live Oak mound,” Cummins said. “It will definitely be a challenge and thrill for our varsity players to face him.”
Game time for the frosh/soph vs. “older” alums is 10am and the varsity vs. the “newer” alums is 1pm. Post game festivities will be at Las Palmas Restaurant, located at Dunne and 101.
