After throwing complete games last week, Ryan Muller and Kyle
Bennett needed a rest.
After throwing complete games last week, Ryan Muller and Kyle Bennett needed a rest.
Junior Dylan Regan stepped up to that task by pitching four solid innings. He didn’t give up any runs although he left the bases full in the second inning.
“I wasn’t able to hit my spots in the second inning,” Regan said.
Regan (2-1) said he didn’t approach the start any different from a relief roll. He retired the side in order twice – in the first inning and then in the fourth inning.
The Acorn defense came up big in the second inning. Scott Hayslip caught a ball in right field on a hustle play and threw back to first to try to double off the runner. The ball sailed by, but catcher Chase Perez alertly backed up the play. Andrew Cummins came up with a nice leaping snag at second base. Bennett at first base hulled in a high throw to end the inning.
Scott Moquin, appearing on the mound for the first time this year, came on to pitch the last two innings.
“There is a first time for everything,” Moquin said. “I was throwing fastball and mixing in a curve.”
The only run Palma scored came in the fifth inning after two were out.
“We were hoping Dylan could come threw for us to give the other guys some rest,” Cummins said. “He did admirably and pitched pretty well. It was good to score a couple runs in the first inning to take the pressure off him. We hope he can build on it because we made need him for another start in league definitely in the West Coast Classic Tournament. Muller could have come back and closed today. But with the big lead, we didn’t see that as necessary.”
Cummins said he plans to have Muller throw on Thursday at Palma and Bennett on Tuesday at Gilroy and then have Muller pitch the home game with Gilroy on the following Friday.
Live Oak scored three runs in the first inning against Palma and seven runs in the second inning. Live Oak ended the game in the sixth inning after Mike Mom reached base on a hit he got to fall between the incoming outfielders.
Bennett stuck out nine in the 4-1 win Saturday over Salinas. He also had two RBIs. Muller had three hits in that game.
“We control our own destiny,” Cummins said. “That is all you can ask for. We are swinging the bats well and playing good defense now. We knew coming in to the year we would have a strong team. Any time you have a couple of pitchers like Muller and Bennett, you got to like your chances in any game. We are pretty much doing everything right right now.”
Both Live Oak and Hollister have 6-1 records after Hollister defeated Salinas 2-1 Monday in eight innings.
“Hollister is a solid team, and they are not going to fold,” Cummins said. “We can’t afford to stub our toe on one of these other teams before the showdown down there.”
