The Tracy High Varsity Bulldogs broke their five-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over the Lodi Flames at Zupo Field on Friday, April 11.
“This was a pride game,” Varsity Coach JaRelle McIntyre said. “After the way we lost on Wednesday, coming back and winning was a big deal for us.”
It was a tight game with Tracy scoring both runs in the top of the eighth inning and Lodi responding with just one run in the bottom half of the inning.
Senior Jace Johnson pitched seven innings, with seven strikeouts on the day. His pitching was a major reason Tracy was able to take the win on Friday, shutting down the Flames bats.
“It means a lot for the team to count on me for us to get deep in games especially if our first two games we don’t win,” Johnson said. “The third game we were expecting to win and to just come out there and get that win means a lot.”
The Friday prior, in a tight 1-0 loss to St. Mary’s, Johnson kept his team in the game with the same control and toughness he showed again in this win.
“Johnson was outstanding on the mound and that was a big piece of it,” McIntyre said.
Senior Dylan Giannini came in to pitch after the first out in bottom of the eighth inning, collecting those last two outs to end the game. Solid pitching held Lodi to only one run in total.
Offensively, the Bulldogs started off slow, with no scoring until the eighth inning. Freshman Brady Brown went 2-4 and had the game winning 2-RBI single in the eighth inning. Tracy’s offense had three total hits and seven walks.
Throughout the game, the Bulldogs made no defensive errors. One of the most crucial defensive moments came in the bottom of the eighth inning, when Senior Derek Bogetti ran deep into the right center gap to make a key catch, shutting down Lodi’s final push.
“I was hoping Eli would be there but he wasn’t even close, so I turned on the jets and got it done,” Bogetti said. “It felt good to be able to save Dylan from having more guys on base.”
After a tough win against the Lodi Flames, the Bulldogs will take this bye week to reset and prepare before league play continues Monday, April 21.
“Even in the losses to Lodi and St. Mary’s, we were in those games, so I see it building in a really good way moving forward,” McIntyre said.
They will return to action next week with a three-game series against Lincoln, ready to carry their momentum forward.
