The Gilroy softball team traveled to Morgan Hill Tuesday afternoon and handed Live Oak a 19-8 defeat in a slow-paced game that was cut short after the fifth inning by a two-hour time limit.
Runs were plentiful all afternoon, as in the first two innings alone, the teams combined for 12 runs, with the host Acorns (0-1) holding a 7-5 lead.
“It was a little shaky at first. We never rolled over and we just kept hitting,” said Gilroy Coach Julie Berggren. “We knew our offense would keep us in the game. I’m very pleased with them sticking with it and playing hard.”
The score quickly changed in the third as the Mustangs pushed across four runs to take a 9-7 lead. In the fourth inning, Gilroy (3-0) broke the game open, batting around twice. Senior shortstop Kaylana Mah hit two home runs in the inning, driving in five runs in the inning.
"It just came out of nowhere. I wanted to hit, so I just hit,” Mah said. “I’m proud of my team. They bring me up. I think we just need to keep it up. We shouldn’t expect that we’re always going to win. Our goal is to take it every game at a time.”
Live Oak’s bats were mostly silent for the latter part of the game. But, to end the fourth, the Acorns added another run to the board when Rachel Ditta scored. The game ended in anticlimactic fashion as Live Oak prevented Gilroy from scoring in the fifth after turning a double play.
“I expect us to keep winning with the way we hit today. Defensively we had some shaky times today, but we’ve had some really solid defensive games already this year,” said Berggren. “So I’m not worried; I don’t think this is a trend. I definitely think we’re going to bounce right back and not have any issues. I’m very excited for this team.”
The Mustangs go on to host Archbishop Mitty Thursday, while Live Oak hosts Christopher.
"We got a little jittery, but we’re going to work on it. We’re going to work at practice tomorrow. Our hitting was good for the first couple innings, so we’ll mainly stick with the outfield and talking more,” said catcher Tiffany Moore. “Both of our pitchers left, so we have to work new pitchers in."
