The rivalry lives.
Gilroy – The rivalry lives.
Even with the high-profile Circle of Champions Tournament awaiting both teams this weekend, the Gilroy-Live Oak game was one that both coaches and every player anticipated.
And in typical style, it went into extra innings before the Mustangs emerged with a 5-4 win in a game that featured 26 hits and 20 runners left on base.
It ended in the bottom of the ninth when Gilroy (5-1) rallied for two runs, the first scoring on Jasmine Perez’s single up the middle and the winner coming home on Kylie Herrada’s one-out bases-loaded grounder to the right side of the infield.
“I’d rather play a game like this and lose than win 8-0 against a bad team,” Live Oak coach Barry McDonnell said. “It was typical in the way it turned out, extra innings and a one-run game. This helps us a lot (heading into the Circle of Champions) because it was a good, high-intensity game.”
It was a bizarre game in many ways but one the Acorns (4-1) probably should have won. Led by Taylor Sutton, Live Oak led 3-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Sutton went 4 for 5 with three runs scored. The senior shortstop ignited the Acorns with a third-inning double, scoring on Brittney Ondich’s RBI double to right. Sutton doubled again in the fifth on an 0-2 pitch and scored on Ondich’s RBI double to left. Sabrina LaCorte delivered the third run with an RBI single.
Meanwhile, the Mustangs were squandering one opportunity after another. They had runners thrown out at home in the first and second innings, and had the bases loaded with none out in the sixth and didn’t score. Gilroy had nine hits through six innings without scoring.
In the seventh, the Mustangs finally broke through on their 12th hit of the game, Brittany Balanesi’s RBI single. The second run scored on Perez’s fielder’s choice grounder, and the tying run scored on a dropped fly ball in left field.
“I knew we would win when we came back in the seventh,” said GHS second baseman Lauryn Chris, who was 2 for 3 with two walks and two runs. “We came out a little slow without intensity. We stuck together and worked through it. I’ve never played on a team that plays so well together.”
Perez, Amanda Tellez, Patty Olvera and Herrada all had two hits for Gilroy, which had 14 for the game. Melinda Ortiz was not at her best, and yet was good enough to weather Live Oak’s powerful offense to get the win.
“It was a great comeback but not a pretty six innings,” GHS coach Catherine Hallada said. “We are not a power-hitting team, but the girls were able to string together base hits over the last three, four innings.”
The Mustangs are in the Circle of Champions today for two games. They face Watsonville at 6pm and Valley Christian at 8pm.
Live Oak 001 020 001 – 4 12 5
Gilroy 000 000 302 – 5 14 0
Goularte and Kientzy; Ortiz and Balanesi.
2B-LO, Sutton 2, Ondich 2, McDonald. GIL, Chris.
