Acorns fall to Panthers in CCS first round
Morgan Hill – Just as they had on many occasions this season, the No. 8 seed Acorns could only shake their heads after seeing their season end Thursday. The Live Oak baseball team fell behind early against visiting Burlingame in the first round of the Central Coast Section Division II playoffs and never recovered, falling 3-1.
“It’s frustrating. We hit some balls right at people,” said Live Oak coach Mark Cummins. “We gave them too many free runs and had some mental mistakes. Mental mistakes get magnified during the playoffs. That is kind of the way our season went.”
The Panthers’ offense started things off in the top of the first inning, helped by an early fielding error by the Acorn defense. Live Oak starter Blaine Sutton walked the first Burlingame batter, Josh Weisman who advanced to third on teammate Paul Fergosi’s bunt up the first baseline. Fergosi reached base safely due to a low throw to first.
With runners on first and third with no outs, Sutton struck out Panther Trevor Pasiecznik. Burlingame’s pitcher followed by drilling a two-run double to deep center field, putting the Panthers up 2-0. Then Adam Chickman singled to left field, but Acorn leftfielder Stephen Smith held the runner at third base with a quick throw back to the infield. Sutton settled down the strikeout the next two batters to get Live Oak out of the inning.
The Acorn offense answered with one run of their own in the bottom of the first. Brenden Flaherty lead off with a deep double over the head of the Panthers’ leftfielder. Matt Cummins then singled through the middle. With runners on first and third and no outs, Kyle Mosbrucker drove in Flaherty with an infield single that the Burlingame shortstop could not handle, 2-1.
Burlingame’s starter, Steve Riddle got a controversial double play on Nick Bonfiglio’s fielder’s choice grounder to third. On the play, the Panthers’ third baseman came in to field the ball and swept a tag at Cummins on his way to third and then threw to second for the force out on Mosbrucker. Cummins appeared to avoid the tag by the third baseman, but was called out by the umpire. Riddle got Chris Barber to ground out to end the Acorns threat.
Live Oak and Burlingame’s pitchers and defenses kept the game scoreless until the top of the sixth, when the Panthers added an insurance run.
“It’s a little disappointing. In the end of the season came up a little short,” said Mosbrucker, who is headed to the University of Arizona next year. “I would have loved to have won a CCS game. Playing for Live Oak has been great. We had our ups and downs, but the coaching staff is great and there are great players.”
Sutton pitched six innings for the Acorns, striking out eight, while allowing six hits and two runs. John Stemel relieved Sutton in the top of the seventh and struck out two.
Riddle pitched the complete game for the Panthers, striking out two, while allowing six hits and one run.
The Acorns appearance in the post-season marks the 15th consecutive year that Live Oak has advanced into the playoffs.
“It’s not the end of the world, the sun will come up tomorrow,” said coach Cummins when asked what he told the team after the game. “It was a positive experience and hopefully the seniors learned a lot that they will carry on in life.”
