Live Oak Wins in Windy Thriller Over Gridley in Extras

Mar 25, 2024 03:46PM ● By Steven Bryla, photos by Steven Bryla

Live Oak freshman pitcher Brooklyn Murphey (33) connects with a ball in the Lady Lions’ 9-7 win over Gridley on Thursday, March 14.

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - The Live Oak Lions softball team was able to hold on to a late lead and beat the Gridley Lady Bulldogs 9-8 on Thursday, March 14, in an extra inning victory.

Live Oak Head Coach Kevin Medeiros’s postgame huddle with his team was filled with nothing but praise and gratefulness for not giving up and staying locked in.

Live Oak junior catcher Alexa Medina (7) swings at a pitch in the Lady Lions’ 9-7 victory over Gridley on Thursday, March 14.

“The fact that these girls didn’t give up says so much about their heart for the game,” Medeiros said. He added that a lot of mistakes contributed to the late Gridley push in the seventh inning, but Live Oak stayed focused and pushed through it as a team to get the victory.

The Lady Lions jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning after Live Oak junior catcher Alexa Medina sent a scorching-solo shot over the left field fence.

Live Oak senior shortstop Olivia Nanez (6) fields and throws a ball to first base in the Lady Lions’ 9-7 win over Gridley on Thursday, March 14.

Medina told the Herald that everything in the swing lined up great and she was able to put good contact on it, and although it had a hook towards left field, it stayed in play and got the Lady Lions off to a good start in the opening inning. Medina had a hit and two walks at the plate in the game.

Live Oak freshman pitcher Brooklyn Murphey (33) throws a pitch in the Lady Lions’ 9-7 victory over Gridley on Thursday, March 14.

Live Oak freshman pitcher Brooklyn Murphey mowed through the Gridley lineup the first time around and dealt a gem before she surrendered her first hit in the fifth inning of the game. Murphey pitched 6.2 innings where she gave up seven hits, six runs, walked four and sat 12 Lady Bulldogs down in strikeouts.

The Lady Lions had a 3-2 lead heading into the top of the seventh where they scored a couple insurance runs against Lady Bulldogs senior pitcher Maddie Garcia, who pitched 6.1 innings, gave up seven runs, five hits and walked nine hitters.

This was only Gridley’s second game of the season and Head Coach Tammy Carr told the Herald that she was proud of her team for fighting the whole way through.

Gridley senior infielder Alyssa Thompson (5) lines a ball up the middle in the Lady Bulldogs’ 9-7 defeat on Thursday, March 14.

There is no question the Lady Bulldogs lost half of their roster from the 2023 class, but senior infielder Alyssa Thompson and junior pitcher/first baseman Reese Stevens told the Herald they are building the trust on the team again.

Gridley senior infielder Alyssa Thompson (5) throws a ball to first base in the Lady Bulldogs’ 9-7 loss on Thursday, March 14 to Live Oak.

Thompson told the Herald that you can see the trust growth throughout the team as they fought together hard during the loss to Live Oak.

Thompsons and Stevens each had two hits and two runs-batted-in (RBI’s) a piece in the defeat. Stevens relieved Garcia in the top of the seventh inning in the circle.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Murphey had a five-run lead with two outs and after Gridley had a walk and five consecutive hits, the game was tied and went into extra innings.

Gridley senior Maddie Garcia (10) throws a pitch in the Lady Bulldogs’ 9-7 defeat on Thursday, March 14.

Lady Lions junior pitcher Bella Pacheco relieved Murphey in the seventh inning. Pacheco and Stevens shut down the opposing offenses in the eighth inning as Live Oak junior infielder Aleena Ramirez hit an RBI double in the top of the ninth and another added run extended to give the Lady Lions the lead.

Pacheco gave up an RBI single to Stevens in the bottom of the ninth, but allowed the one run to hold on for the Live Oak win.

The Lady Lions beat Oroville 12-11 on Friday, March 15, to complete their preseason with a 7-1 record. Live Oak began Sacramento Valley League play this week as they were scheduled to play against Colusa on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Gridley was scheduled to host their tournament this week as Carr expressed to the Herald that their games were to be played on Thursday and Saturday, March 23.