Live Oak was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. They fell just short of the Branham Bruins by a score of 2-1. The result was an unpleasant reminder to Live Oak of the 9-7 loss they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture last Tuesday.
JJ Becks was huge no matter where he played even without the win. 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 solid in the batter's box, 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.
On Branham's side, 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. Knezevic has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't pitched less than five innings in three consecutive pitching appearances.
Live Oak's defeat dropped their record down to 4-6. As for Branham, the win (which was their fourth in a row) raised their record to 9-2.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Live Oak will 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. As for Branham, they will head out on the road to challenge Prospect at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
