Live Oak received a complete-game one-hit nine-strikeout
performance from Ryan Muller Tuesday at Gilroy, but lost 1-0 after
not get any runs across the board.
Live Oak received a complete-game one-hit nine-strikeout performance from Ryan Muller Tuesday at Gilroy, but lost 1-0 after not get any runs across the board.
The Acorns, which finish tied with Hollister for the Tri-County League title, will find out who they play in the first round of the Central Coast Section playoffs during the seeding meeting on Saturday. Although Live Oak (17-10) and Hollister (20-7) finished the season with 11-4 league records, Live Oak holds the higher CCS seed because of the best-of-three head-to- head matchups that the Acorns won.
“The (TCAL championship) sign has been ordered and will hopefully be up for a home CCS game,” said Live Oak coach Mark Cummins. “We’re not too distressed about losing to this team. We could have used a couple extra seeding points though. We’re still going in as champs.”
Gilroy (10-16, 7-8 TCAL) has been on a roll, winning its last five games and finishing just short of qualifying for a CCS berth. A team needs at least a .500 overall or league record to qualify. Gilroy’s John Kirkish pitched 5 1/3 innings for the win.
“Gilroy did a tremendous job to win five games like that,” Cummins said. “They played very competitive with us and made the most out of their base runners. Give their pitching and defense credit because there were a couple of situations where we should have cashed in.”
Live Oak, which had runners in scoring position in five of the seven innings despite having only three hits, had a chance in that fifth inning after Kyle Bennett reached on an infield single and Chase Perez walked with one out. After throwing a strikeout Todd Gimenez, who came in to pitch, gave up a walk to Steve Conner to load the bases. But Gimenez got Andrew Cummins swinging to leave them full.
“I had him take the first one, and he was probably guessing curve ball on the second one and got behind too far,” said coach Cummins.
Center fielder Bryan Jones made a nice diving slide in the fourth inning to catch one of the longest hit Gilroy balls of the afternoon.
Gilroy scored its only run of the game in the fifth inning. Pinch hitter Brian Collom worked out a walk. After a balk, Richard Chavez hit a slow roller over first base and into right field. Gilroy’s only hit of the day was good enough to get the run home.”
“It was a free ninety feet that they used to their benefit with the dribbler down the right field line,” Cummins said. “He ruled that he didn’t stop. But it was kind of questionable. But you got to give them credit.”
