Branham had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 2.3 runs), and they went ahead and made it four on Thursday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 2-1 win over the Live Oak Acorns. That's more bragging rights for Branham, who also won the pair's last head-to-head.
Luka Knezevic spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on nine hits and racked up eight Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't pitched less than five innings in three consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Branham saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Nolan Mannina, who went 1-for-2 with an RBI.
On Live Oak's side, JJ Becks put in work while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits (he also didn't allow any walks). Becks was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Becks wasn't the only one making solid contact as five players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Michael Volkman, who scored a run while going 1-for-3.
Branham is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight games, which provided a nice bump to their 9-2 record this season. As for Live Oak, they are on a four-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 4-6.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Branham will square off against Prospect at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. As for Live Oak, they will head out on the road to take on Santa Teresa at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The last three games Santa Teresa has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
