Jackie Orta closed out her final regular season home game on a high note.
She went 3-4 with an RBI, including hitting a walk-off single against Sobrato to push the Acorns to an 11-1 win in five innings.
Orta hit a single that scored Vanessa Ramos to push Live Oak to the mercy rule limit and capped a dramatic five-run inning.
“Back-to-back doubles and a home run, it kind of jumps on you quickly,” said coach Sarah Locarnini.
Sobrato coach John McGowan said he was a little surprised to see his offense go flat given in the last two games Sobrato scored a combined 18 runs in a pair of dramatic eight-inning affairs.
He said there were just two hard-hit balls all day from Sobrato, one of which fell for a base hit.
Meanwhile, Live Oak collected 11 runs on 17 hits including a three-run home run from Maddie Gallagher in the fifth. She went 2-2 with four RBIs.
“She’s been hitting the ball well all year, so it was good to see her get under it, just a little bit,” Locarnini said.
Gallagher also tossed a gem, giving up one run on four hits through five innings.
Everyone who got a hit for the Acorns had at least two.
Jordyn Campbell led the charge going 4-4 with two runs and an RBI.
Campbell also had the highlight defensively when she slid to make a catch in center field and doubled off a runner at first for the game’s lone double play.
The Live Oak team went crazy with high fives and hugs that poured into the dugout. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the third out of the inning.
“I think we were so pumped and high fiving no one realized it was just the second out,” Locarnini said.
Ramos, who scored the game-ending run, went 3-4 with three RBIs.
And the whole thing just snuck up on everyone.
Live Oak opened the game with a run in the first when Kaylie Lowery scored on a sac fly from Gallagher.
The Acorns stranded a runner on third and then had bases loaded in the second an failed to score when Sobrato’s catcher picked off Orta at third.
Katrina Grunnett-Jepsen followed with a lead off single in the third and scored on a two-out double from Kayla Rooney to tie the game.
Live Oak, however, answered in the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles from Ianna Schlaefli and Kelli St. Clair with Gallagher loaded the bases with a walk.
Ramos then hit a single to score Schaefli and St. Clair for a 3-1 lead.
Live Oak then blew the game open in the fourth when the Acorns brought nine hitters to plate with Kaylie Lowery leading off with a single, advanced to third on a single from Campbell and scored on a one-out single from St. Clair.
Gallagher and Ramos followed with RBI singles to take a 6-1 lead.
Orta then loaded the bases on a bunt to threaten more with one out.
Sobrato got out of the fourth inning, however, with a pop out to first and a ground ball to short.
Lowery and Campbell then led off the fifth with doubles followed by an infield single from Schaefli to set up Gallagher’s three-run homer.
Ramos then reached on an error and scored on Orta’s single to end the game.
Live Oak will now hit the road for two games next week at Mt. Pleasant on May 10 and at Leland on May 12.
“They have another week to work hard and gear up for playoffs,” Locarnini said. “We had a little bump in the road last week I would say. But they came back with a lot more energy than they’ve been playing with. If they build on that, I think we’ll be good.”
Sobrato, meanwhile, will host senior day 4 p.m. May 10 against Santa Teresa and will hit the road on May 12 to play Westmont.
The Bulldogs entered Thursday on the bubble to make the playoffs, but have fallen out of the mix, according to Prep2prep.com. A pair of wins next week may help that along, depending if other teams stumble along the way as well.
McGowan said he expected his team needed to win against Live Oak and win out next week to still be in the mix, but is still hoping his girls will finish the season strong and set a positive tone for next year.
The Bulldogs will say goodbye to six seniors next year, but will only have to fill two positions.
They will still have pitchers Megan Perron and Kacey Suess coming back as seniors, along with a freshman catcher in Parish and a strong arm at the hot corner in Kendall McGowan.
