Gilroy
– That loss to Palma last week must have really gotten under the
Gilroy baseball team’s skin.
Fortunately, the Mustangs used that anger to their
advantage.
The ‘Stangs took out their frustrations on Live Oak Tuesday,
downing the previously undefeated TCAL leader 15-8 at home.
Gilroy – That loss to Palma last week must have really gotten under the Gilroy baseball team’s skin.
Fortunately, the Mustangs used that anger to their advantage.
The ‘Stangs took out their frustrations on Live Oak Tuesday, downing the previously undefeated TCAL leader 15-8 at home.
“I think they were a little bitter about that (loss against Palma),” said Gilroy coach Clint Wheeler. “They let one get away that day so I think we came out with a lot better attitude. I think they’re learning.”
The win not only gave Gilroy (10-6) some temporary rivalry bragging rights, but it also boosted the Mustangs into a tie with the Acorns (10-6) for first place in TCAL. Both teams have league records of 5-1.
“Not only does it feel good that we beat an undefeated team, but we beat Live Oak, which is definitely a big step. They’re a very good team,” said senior first baseman and closer Peter Mickartz. “Looking at that score, we would never have expected that.”
Mickartz’s two-run triple in the second inning was the highlight of an eight-run scoring spree the Mustangs put together in the first two innings of the game. In the first inning, catcher Chris Hernandez (3 hits, 3 RBI) drove in Gilroy’s first two runs.
In the second, the Mustangs caused some real damage.
Shortstop Drew Andersen’s single drove in two runs to extend Gilroy’s lead to 4-0. That brought up Mickartz, who got hold of a pitch from Live Oak starter Kyle Mosbrucker.
“As soon as I hit the ball, I knew I hit it hard. As soon as the outfielder took a step in, I knew it was over his head,” said Mickartz, who had a pair of hits and knocked four runs in.
The ‘Stangs scored another run off a wild pitch. Then starting pitcher Noel DeLatorre (5 1/3 innings, 3 strikeouts) drove in one more run before Live Oak put a halt to the offensive explosion.
Mosbrucker, the Acorns’ ace who was coming off a shutout of Palma, was pulled in the second inning and replaced with Ryan Bennett.
“We took some walks, but we had some good hits in there too,” Wheeler said. “It was big to go up 8-0. It was huge. But again, they’re a good team. There was a lot of game left and we knew there was no backing down to them.”
It was a good thing the Mustangs were prepared for Live Oak to come back, because the Acorns did just that in the fifth inning.
Live Oak second baseman Andrew Cummins jump-started the Acorn offense with a line drive single to right that knocked in two runs to make it 9-4. A Mossbrucker groundout drove in another run. Shayne Christman’s double and a Gilroy error on Nick Bonfiglio’s grounder to third brought two more runs home for Live Oak, cutting the Mustangs’ lead to 9-7.
However, Gilroy responded in the bottom half of the inning. Mickartz had an RBI single up the middle. Moments later, he stole third and eventually scored on a passed ball from Live Oak’s third pitcher of the game, John Stemel. Gilroy extended its lead to 12-7 when Andersen reached on an error and Hernandez (single) scored.
Mickartz came in to pitch in the sixth inning, holding the Acorns to just one more run and sealing the win for the Mustangs.
Gilroy and Live Oak will meet for round two tomorrow in Morgan Hill.
Gilroy 15, Live Oak 8
R H E
LO 000 251 0 8 7 2
GIL 260 133 x 15 13 1
WP – DeLatorre
LP – Mossbrucker
SV – Mickartz
