Live Oak battles back from early deficit; Gilroy’s hot bats keep
game out of reach
Morgan Hill – Clutch hitting in the top of the seventh inning gave the Gilroy Mustangs baseball team the boost they needed to defeat the Live Oak Acorns, 10-7, in Morgan Hill on Monday afternoon.
Mustangs’ catcher Chris Hernandez came up big for the Mustangs, going 2-for-4, with a triple and three RBIs in the game.
With the scored tied 6-6 in the seventh inning, Gilroy (12-9, 8-5 TCAL) batted around, capitalizing on two Acorn (10-12, 7-7 TCAL) errors.
Hernandez lead off the inning and reached on an error, Ryan Evanger drew a walk and Drew Andersen loaded the bases with a bunt back at the pitcher. Matt Hemeon untied the score by driving in two runs with a single to rightfield, 8-6. Danny Contreras followed with a RBI single of his own to make the score 9-6, and ending the day for Acorn reliever John Stemel.
Matt Cummins came on in relief for Live Oak and after walking Kevin Grove to reload the bases with no outs, Cummins struck out Jacob Dexter and Michael Stevens.
Gilroy, however, wasn’t through and added another run on a pop up by Josh Sterling that fell in, 10-6.
In the bottom of the seventh, with two outs the Acorns started to make some noise of their own. Brenden Flaherty doubled to deep leftfield, Cummins singled to centerfield and Kyle Mosbrucker had a RBI single to left to pull Live Oak within three, 10-7.
The come back was too little too late as Mustangs’ reliever Andersen got Nick Bonfiglio to pop out to rightfield to end the game.
The Mustangs took an early 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning off of Live Oak starter, Blaine Sutton. Stevens lead off with a single through the middle of the infield and Sterling followed with a ground ball that handcuffed Acorn shortstop Kyle Ferguson. Hernandez then cleared the bases with a deep triple to left, 2-0. Evanger drove in a run with a single and consecutive doubles by Contreras and Kevin Grove made the score 5-0.
Live Oak got a run back in the bottom of the first on a fielder’s choice ground ball off the bat of Bonfiglio, scoring Flaherty, 5-1.
Stevens doubled to open up the second inning for the Mustangs and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Hernandez, 6-1.
Live Oak added another run in the bottom of the second as they chipped away at Gilroy starter Tyler Osborne. Flaherty doubled to centerfield with two outs, Cummins drew a walk and Mosbrucker drove Flaherty home on a single to right-center, 6-2. With runners on first and third, Osborne got a ground ball to end the Acorn threat.
Live Oak made some more noise in the bottom of the third and pulled within two. Chris Barber scored when Osborne beaned Eddie Gomez with the bases loaded. Osborne struck out the next two batters, then Cameron Willis scored on a single by Cummins, 6-4.
Stemel relieved Sutton in the top of the fourth and did a good job holding off the Mustangs’ offense.
Live Oak tied it up in the bottom of the fifth. Gomez lead off the inning with a single to left, James Johnson followed with a double to left-center. Flaherty drove in Gomez with a single to left and Johnson scored on a fielder’s choice out, 6-6.
Live Oak returns to the field on Wednesday in Hollister to take on the San Benito Haybalers (18-4, 11-2 TCAL) at 4pm. Gilroy next hosts the Palma Chieftains (14-4-1, 9-2-1 TCAL) at 4pm.
