Two triples off the bat of senior Priscilla Orona was the only
offensive punch the Live Oak softball team could provide against
Archbishop Mitty in a 4-0 loss to the Monarchs in the quarterfinals
of the CCS Division II playoffs Saturday in San Jose.
SAN JOSE
Two triples off the bat of senior Priscilla Orona was the only offensive punch the Live Oak softball team could provide against Archbishop Mitty in a 4-0 loss to the Monarchs in the quarterfinals of the CCS Division II playoffs Saturday in San Jose.
“I was really proud of the way they played,” LOHS manager Barry McDonnell said. “They have shown all year that they can play with the best.”
The Monarchs, who are seeded No. 1 in the Division II bracket as well as No. 3 in the section, scored twice in the third inning and once more in the fifth and sixth.
Orona led off the game with the first of her two triples. However, the No. 8 Acorns were unable to cash in on the first-inning fortune.
“That really happened to us quite a bit in the first half of the season. We would hit the ball but left a lot of runners on base,” McDonnell said.
Orona had the only two hits for the Acorns.
“You get up into that level of play the pitchers get to be pretty dominating,” McDonnell said.
Despite being credited with the loss, Acorns starting pitcher Katie Obbema managed to keep the high-powered Monarchs (26-3) off balance, scattering 10 hits in the game.
“She pitched a really good game,” McDonnell said. “She hit her spots really well and had good movement on her pitches. They really didn’t hit the ball hard off of her at all.”
A strong second-half push, including a 3-1 league record in April, earned Live Oak a clean slate into the playoffs – its first postseason appearance since 2007. The Acorns (15-14) took advantage of the opportunity. The Acorns advanced to Saturday’s second round with a hard-fought 3-1 nod over Los Altos.
“They really came around the second half of the season,” McDonnell said.
