Softball Preview: Live Oak Lions vs. Pierce Bears
The Live Oak Lions will head out on the road to challenge the Pierce Bears at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Live Oak is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 9.6 runs per game this season.
In what's become a running theme this season, Live Oak gave their fans yet another huge win on Friday. They were the clear victor by a 10-2 margin over Winters. Ten seems to be a good number for Live Oak as the squad scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Brooklyn Murphey made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off six hits. Murphey has been consistent recently: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in five consecutive pitching appearances. Murphey was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Olivia Na?ez, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. She has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times she's played. Alexa Medina was another key contributor, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Pierce was not able to break out of their rough patch on Friday as the team picked up their fifth straight loss. Their rough 11-1 defeat to East Nicolaus might stick with them for a while.
Ariana Ambriz made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, a double, and an RBI.
The win made it two in a row for Live Oak and bumps their season record up to 10-5. As for Pierce, their loss dropped their record down to 5-11.
Pierce's pitching crew has a tough task ahead of them: Live Oak has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.4 hits per game. It's a different story for Pierce, though, as they've been averaging 10.5. Given Live Oak's sizable advantage in that area, Pierce will need to find a way to close that gap.
Live Oak took their victory against Pierce in their previous meeting back in April of 2023 by a conclusive 15-4. Will Live Oak repeat their success, or does Pierce have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
