Live Oak minor All-Star coach Juan Robles celebrates with his team postgame after the victory over Sutter Area LL on Wednesday, June 19, for the California District 2 championship. Photo by Chris Pedigo

LIVE OAK, CA (MPG) - The Live Oak Little League 8- to 10-year-old Softball All-Star team accomplished a championship on Wednesday, June 19, as they beat Sutter Area LL, and multiple generations of Live Oak parents and athletes embraced one another following a 35-year drought without a banner.

Live Oak head coach Mitchell Perigo expressed to the Herald that the district title is a big deal in the city. 

 Live Oak pitcher Eveya Martinez throws a pitch during the victory over Sutter Area LL on Wednesday, June 19. Photo by Ryan Dudek

“When I first started coaching Little League, all you heard was Live Oak is two-and-done in All-Stars and they’ll never have a shot at it,” Perigo said.

Perigo added that how could you expect to win if you don’t have faith in the kids and work hard for it.

On Monday, June 17, Live Oak was in an elimination game versus Colusa and they won 12-4 to set up a rematch against Sutter Area in the championship game. LO had to beat SA twice to win the District 2 banner. 

Sutter Area defeated Live Oak in the 2023 District 2 tournament as both teams met in the championship. SA later went on to win the title and eventually a state title.

Perigo told the Herald that after the minor girls were eliminated from last season’s District 2 tournament, he and some other parents decided to start a travel ball team based in Live Oak to help the girls become more competitive.

Perigo added that it was meant to happen for the area. 

“The girls had natural chemistry with one another and enjoyed each other,” Perigo told the Herald.

Perigo expressed to the Herald that he told his team during travel ball that no one likes to lose, but you learn a lot of things from a loss.

The Herald asked Perigo what was the biggest adjustment that Live Oak made from the first to the second matchup against Sutter Area two days apart. 

Perigo told the Herald that the pitching of Eveya Martinez was a huge factor. 

“She (Martinez) pitched very well in our final travel tournament prior to Tournament of Champions and All Stars,” Perigo stated. “We kept her hidden from the circle so the other teams didn’t have the opportunity to prepare for her speed.”

Perigo’s daughter, Riley, was the pitcher for the first four games of the District tournament where she went 3-1 from the circle.

Sutter Area had two opportunities to win the title as they went undefeated throughout the tournament, but on Tuesday, June 18, Live Oak beat SA 4-1. 

Sutter Area got their only run off of Martinez in the game at the top of the first inning off a passed ball. SA had a couple of runners on during the inning, but there was a heads-up play by the catcher who back picked a runner at third for a huge out.

Live Oak responded in the bottom half of the first with three runs in part to heads-up baserunning and taking advantage of passed balls.

Martinez pitched a complete game as SA couldn’t catch up to the speedy pitching.

LO added another run in the fourth to hand Sutter Area their first loss and set up a winner-take-all game on Wednesday, June 19.

The Live Oak coaching staff decided to have Martinez in the circle again to try and win that first District banner for LOLL.

Martinez was dominant as she allowed only three base runners in the entire game,  and she pounded the strike zone as she had 15 strikeouts, and the defense behind her made the plays and were ready for everything.

When the final out was recorded, you couldn’t figure out who was more excited for the victory between the coaches or players as tears, cheers and a Berry stadium packed of smiles for Live Oak embraced one another. 

Mitchell told the Herald he and one of his coaches, Laura Topete, are childhood friends and it was an amazing moment to share with everyone in the community who had supported the softball program in LOLL from parents and travel ball coaches, but the best was to see the girls on the team see their hard work pay off.

“The emotions were overwhelming because it was Live Oak generations of families that were involved,” Mitchell said.

LO moves on to the Section 2 tournament that is now a four-team double elimination tournament that begins today, Friday, June 28, in Anderson. They play at 5 p.m.

Mitchell expressed to the Herald that during practice this week that they weren’t going to change too much overall, but were going to continue getting multiple repetitions defensively, and baserunning as those were two of their strengths during the District 2 tournament and made the difference.

He added there will be plenty of hitting drills this week at practice.

“We’re going to prepare the girls for some speed,” Mitchell said.

 The Live Oak Little League Minor 8-10 All-Stars celebrate postgame and smile with the California District 2 banner after they beat Sutter Area LL for the championship on Wednesday, June 19. Photo by Ryan Dudek