It
’s a busy time of the year for the Live Oak High softball team.
Last weekend, the Acorns competed at their own Annie Lynch Memorial
Circle of Champions Tournament at Twin Creeks where they won one,
lost one and earned a forfeit victory to advance to this weekend’s
champion-ship play.
It’s a busy time of the year for the Live Oak High softball team.
Last weekend, the Acorns competed at their own Annie Lynch Memorial Circle of Champions Tournament at Twin Creeks where they won one, lost one and earned a forfeit victory to advance to this weekend’s champion-ship play.
Sandwiched in between, Live Oak will travel to Hollister to take on the Haybalers in both teams’ Tri-County Athletic League opener. The game is scheduled for 3:45 p.m.
According to Acorn coach Barry McDonnell, this week’s league opener is a big key for his team, coming as it does against one of the top teams in the Central Coast Section.
“This is a really big game for the girls,” McDonnell said. “This really will set the tone for the whole season.”
While Live Oak is coming off a difficult season last year during which they won just a single league game, Hollister was the section’s Division I runner-up for the second time in three years last season.
The Balers return several key seniors, including Amy Baxter, Hillary Williams, Jenny Maheu and Liz Stewart, and much of the Hollister roster plays club softball together on a team that took fourth in the nation just a few years ago.
Hollister (6-1 overall) won all three of its games at the Annie Lynch tourney to advance to the Gold Bracket of championship play and has outscored its opponents 37-7 so far this season.
Meanwhile, Live Oak (4-3 overall) features a much-improved squad that includes top players Alyssa Adamo, Justine McDonald, Catalina Rawers, Katie Hillman and Juliette Bowers, who is expected to start on the mound against Hollister.
At last weekend’s tourney, Bowers led the Acorns to their lone victory, 5-2 over Wilcox on Friday night. Bowers (2-0) went the distance in a game shortened to six innings due to time constraints, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out eight.
The junior also slammed a two-run homer in the fifth inning for Live Oak.
Adamo had three hits, including a two-run single in the sixth for the Acorns.
On Saturday, Live Oak was credited with a win when Castilleja forfeited, then lost 3-1 to Watsonville.
Adamo scored the Acorns’ lone run in the sixth inning.
Live Oak advanced to the Silver Bracket of the tourney’s championship play and is scheduled to play Soquel at 9 a.m. this Saturday.
With a victory, the Acorns would advance to play the winner of the Mercy-Burlingame vs. Gilroy game at 1 p.m. Saturday.
