Live Oak standout Landon Stump, shown here being congratulated in a game Tuesday, drove in five runs to lead the Acorns to a 10-2 victory over Leigh on Thursday. Live Oak, Leigh and Branham shared the BVAL Mt. Hamilton title. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
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Baseball
BVAL Mt. Hamilton title chase
An incredibly wild race for the Blossom Valley Athletic League Mt. Hamilton Division baseball championship has reached the finish line.
When it did on Thursday, three teams – Live Oak, Leigh and Branham – were tied at the top.
It could have been four, but Leland spoiled Pioneer’s bid for a piece of the championship prize, edging the Mustangs 4-3.
So instead of tying for first, Pioneer finished tied for fourth with Christopher.
A week ago, Leigh had positioned itself to end the race with two games to go. The Longhorns had won 11 in a row (nine in league play) before falling to Branham.
That result swung open the gate for 40 percent of the 10-team division to enter the final week with a chance for first.
Thursday, Live Oak took advantage of the opportunity, completing a two-game sweep of Leigh with a 10-2 victory on its home field in Morgan Hill.
Live Oak and Leigh finished with 12-6 records in the league.
A few miles away, at Sobrato, Branham needed only to beat an opponent that hadn’t won a league game all spring to claim its share of the title.
Sobrato made the Bruins sweat, loading the bases with two out in the bottom of the seventh before Branham got the last out.
Final score: Branham 1, Sobrato 0.
As those games were unfolding, Pioneer was locked in a 2-2 tie at home against Leland after five innings.
Leland scored two in the top of the sixth, and Pioneer loaded the bases with one out in the home half of the frame.
But the Mustangs managed to score just once and went down in order in the seventh.