The Live Oak Acorns will face off against the Prospect Panthers at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Live Oak 1.4, Prospect 3.6) so any runs scored will be well earned.
If Live Oak beats Prospect with 14 runs on Friday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. Live Oak blew past Silver Creek 14-4 on Wednesday. The result was nothing new for the Acorns, who have now won six matches by seven runs or more so far this season.
Julianna Altamirano
| 03/26/25 vs Silver Creek | 13 |
| 03/21/25 @ Del Mar | 8 |
| 03/19/25 vs Oak Grove | 8 |
| 03/11/25 vs Westmont | 8 |
| 03/08/25 vs King City | 5 |
| + 12 more games |
Julianna Altamirano made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out 13 over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in April of 2024. She was also big at the plate, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Live Oak got a massive performance out of Ava Chapman, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one double. That triple marked the first that Chapman hit this season. Another player making a difference was Tilly Hill, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI and one triple.
Live Oak always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .556. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .556 or higher in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Prospect has relied on a stalwart pitcher averaging 3.63 runs allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Wednesday. They came up short against Piedmont Hills, falling 11-0. The game marked the first time this year in which the Panthers were not able to get on the board.
Live Oak's victory bumped their record up to 8-1. As for Prospect, their defeat ended a five-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 5-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Live Oak has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Prospect struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Live Oak couldn't quite get it done against Prospect in their previous meeting back in April of 2019 as they fell 4-1. Can Live Oak avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
