Maybe the Live Oak softball team should start using some of
Sarah Locarnini
’s premonitions in its game plans. With the score tied 1-1 and
the fate of the season on the line in the Acorns’ first round
Central Coast Section Division I playoff game against Homestead
Wednesday, Locarnini beat out a bunt to reach first base in the
bottom of the eighth inning. A couple plays
later, she found herself on third base in a bases-loaded
situation with teammate April Herrera at the plate. Somehow, she
knew what was going to happen next.
Maybe the Live Oak softball team should start using some of Sarah Locarnini’s premonitions in its game plans.
With the score tied 1-1 and the fate of the season on the line in the Acorns’ first round Central Coast Section Division I playoff game against Homestead Wednesday, Locarnini beat out a bunt to reach first base in the bottom of the eighth inning. A couple plays later, she found herself on third base in a bases-loaded situation with teammate April Herrera at the plate. Somehow, she knew what was going to happen next.
“I had a feeling before (Herrera) hit the ball,” Locarnini said. “It was like a deja vu, like I just knew she was going to hit the ball to the outfield and that I was going to tag up and score. And as soon as she made contact, I could just tell it was going to be exactly like I thought it was.
“I just saw it before it happened.”
As Locarnini pictured, Herrera flied out to rightfield. The speedy second baseman then tagged up and sprinted for home, sliding head-first and beating the tag at the plate to give Live Oak the thrilling 2-1 extra-innings victory.
“(The throw home) was kind of wide and I didn’t really have to dive. But I was just going all out no matter what,” Locarnini said.
The victory advanced No. 6 Live Oak (20-8) into a quarterfinal matchup against No. 3 Oak Grove (19-8) today at 12:40pm at Field No. 2 of the Salinas Sports Complex.
Even with the exciting outcome, the game was what LO coach Barry McDonnell said he expected.
“We knew it was going to be a close game, either good or bad,” McDonnell said. “At the beginning we were a little more aggressive and didn’t get a couple runs across. But we just stayed aggressive and it finally paid off.”
Live Oak scored its first run to get ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning. With first baseman Brittney Ondich on base after a single, leftfielder Sabrina LaCorte nailed a triple to leftfield, driving Ondich home.
But LaCorte rounded third a little too far, got into a rundown and was tagged for the third out of the inning.
“I think she was just so excited that she wanted to score a home run,” laughed McDonnell. “I was holding her and she just rounded so far … And I was a little bit late on making (the stop call). I thought I had her stop, but I sort of waited a second because the shortstop was so deep. I was thinking about sending her home and hoping for a bad throw.”
Homestead came back and tied the game in the third inning. Two Live Oak errors allowed Homestead to get runners on first and third. Homestead’s Jessica Allemandi then singled in Stephanie Kruckenberg to make it 1-1.
In the bottom of the seventh, Live Oak looked like it might end the game when Kelly McDonald hit a one-out triple over the head of Mustangs’ leftfielder Bre Gildem. The Acorns weren’t able to bring McDonald home, but the hit definitely gave Live Oak some key momentum.
“She’s been looking for that big hit for a while,” McDonnell said. “And that just gives you the confidence on defense. It just makes you feel better.”
Bowers and the Live Oak defense quickly retired three straight batters in the top of the eighth to bring the Acorns back to the plate for the decisive bottom of the inning.
After Locarnini’s bunt single, Bowers singled, and shortstop Alyssa Adamo reached on an error to load the bases. That brought up Herrera, who came through with a flyball deep enough to score Locarnini with the winning run.
Bowers earned the win and struck out six, improving her record to 18-8.
The TCAL’s Hollister-San Benito also won its first-round playoff game, while champion Notre Dame was set to begin play Saturday.
