Rich Martinez delivered a bases-loaded RBI single with two outs
in the seventh, and Live Oak beat Sobrato 1-0 Thursday
MORGAN HILL — It’s the game that doesn’t have to love you back, but sometimes baseball gives you a gift.
For Live Oak’s Rich Martinez, that gift was strike two Thursday.
Thinking he was about to load the bases after laying off a 3-1 pitch that was above the letters, Martinez was two steps out of the batter’s box when the second strike was called.
No big deal. Martinez knew what was coming next.
“Fastball right down the middle,” he recalled.
Martinez guessed right and became the hero of a 1-0 victory over Sobrato, lining a single off Shea Adams in the seventh inning to score Nick Gustafson.
“Richy stepped up in a big situation,” Live Oak coach Mark Cummins said. “That was the big hit we were waiting for all game.”
The win at Sobrato High School took some sting out of Tuesday’s 9-7 home loss to the rival Bulldogs. That would have paled in comparison to another letdown Thursday. The Acorns stranded 13 base runners, including eight through the first three innings. They put men at second and third with no outs in the second only to watch their next three batters strike out.
Michael Schreiber doubled twice in a 2-for-3 effort, and Connor Sutton reached in three of his four plate appearances for Live Oak (15-8 overall, 8-6 league).
“The opportunities were there,” Martinez, a sophomore, said. “We knew one run; one hit could do it. I’m glad I was able to come through, especially after how Tuesday went.”
Sutton (7-2) took the loss in that one, but bounced back to get the win Thursday. The senior closer struck out the side with two men on in the sixth, then rung up Chris Bradley on a called third strike to end the game.
“I was forcing it too much last game,” Sutton said. “I slowed the game down this time and just relaxed.”
The Acorns’ J.P. Howard was equally as clutch. He pitched three strong innings in relief after starter Alika Bantilan exited because of cramps in his left leg.
“Coach told me to throw strikes and let the defense help me,” Howard said. “I felt pretty good out there.”
Howard yielded two hits and a walk before Sutton took over in the sixth.
“J.P. did a great job getting to Connor,” Cummins said. “He just kept battling.”
Despite being held to four hits, the Bulldogs were in prime position to go 2-up in the series. They came away empty handed after loading the bases in the second inning and putting two men on in the fourth.
Sobrato also spoiled a key start by Bradley (2-5), who struck out nine and was effective in six-plus innings despite seven walks and five hits. The lefty had given up three hits through his last two starts, including a no-hitter April 11.
“He gave us a lot of trouble,” Cummins said. “We knew his pitch count was over 100 going into the seventh, so we told our guys to be patient.”
Tony Austin and Bantilan drew walks to start the seventh, prompting Sobrato coach Ulises “Shorty” Gutierrez to go to Adams who started Tuesday. Schreiber’s fielder’s choice moved pinch runners Nick Pusateri and Gustafson to second and third, setting the stage for Martinez.
“It shouldn’t have come down to that,” Gutierrez said. “Chris pitched very well for us, and we couldn’t give him any support.”
Ranked No. 14 by the San Jose Mercury News, Live Oak remained in a tie with No. 15 Leigh for second place in the Mount Hamilton Division standings — four games behind No. 11 Santa Teresa — while Sobrato (12-11, 7-7) inherited sole possession of fourth place with seven league contests remaining. Only the top four finishers in the division gain automatic entry to the CIF-Central Coast Section Playoffs.
“You had a playoff-type atmosphere these past two games — that’s great to have at this point in the season,” Gutierrez said. “That win we had Tuesday was definitely one of the biggest for our program. We would have liked another one, but we made way too many mistakes early. It’s the little things that killed us.”
The Morgan Hill teams will play a rubber match May 14 at Live Oak to end the regular season.
“We’re not even thinking about that right now,” said Cummins, whose team thumped Anzar 12-1 in nonleague play Friday. “We’ve got Santa Teresa coming up next.”
