Ryan Muller (5-1) had ten strikeouts against Salinas on
Wednesday, but it wasn
’t until the seventh inning when Live Oak broke it open.
Ryan Muller (5-1) had ten strikeouts against Salinas on Wednesday, but it wasn’t until the seventh inning when Live Oak broke it open.
The Acorns were able to knock the starter out of the game in that inning to score a total of seven runs.
Live Oak had hits up and down the lineup. The highlight of the game was a triple by Steve Conner, who made the most of his limited plate appearances this season.
The Acorns scored two runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings. The win gives Live Oak a 9-4 overall record and a 4-1 league record which keeps them tied for first place in the Tri-County Athletic League.
Softball
Live Oak couldn’t keep pace with North Salinas and lost 9-1. North Salinas is ranked No. 8 in the state thanks to ace pitcher Monica Abbott.
The one run that the Acorns squeezed out by Andrea Thrappas came after Abbott left. The Vikings hit the ball hard and forced Live Oak into six errors.
In the fifth inning, Live Oak (3-6, 0-2 TCAL) gave up five runs on four errors.
“It is a great league for the girls to get good competition in all season long,” said coach Barry McDonnell. “It will only make them better players.”
“It was a good game to have,” McDonnell added. “The girls learned a lot. They are fighters, and they want to win. This one kind of got away. They were really geared up for it and practiced for it. North Salinas was swinging well and putting the ball in play. If is wasn’t for one tough inning, we would have been right there.”
Tennis
Live Oak lost to Salinas 6-1 on Tuesday. The Acorns are now 5-3 and are chasing Gilroy and Salinas in the Tri-County Athletic League.
David Lucarelli returned to action after being out with illness.
“We hit the middle spot in the schedule,” said coach Terry Bernard. “We’re facing strong teams twice a week. We hope to get back on winning track soon.”
Singles: No. 1. Pettit (S) def. Polayes 6-0, 6-0; No. 2. Pybas (S) def. Lucarelli 6-4,6-1; No. 3. Gutenich (S) def. Matsumoto 6-1, 6-2; No. 4. Herrera (S) def. Laskodi 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.
Doubles: No. 1. Hemmer/Hill (S) def. Fernando/Cota 6-2, 6-3; No. 2. Chin/Howell (S) def. Alexander/McElroy 2-6, 7-5, 6-0; No. 3. Bouchette/Christopher (LO) def. Ngyuen/Khanchandani 6-3, 6-0.
Volleyball
Live Oak defeated Monterey Wednesday 18-16 15-11, 16-14, but all the matches were down to the wire. Drew Pearson had 15 kills.
Both teams were 2-0 coming into the match. Live Oak (11-7) and Gilroy are sitting on top of the Tri-County Athletic League with 3-0 records.
The two teams square off in game that could have league title implications on April 4 at Live Oak.
