Tracy baseball expresses high hopes for tournament
photo courtesy of Robert Garcia
Senior Cameron Hoff hits game winning home run against Elk Grove.
March 24, 2016
Tracy High baseball is hoping to continue its success streak all the way to the end of the season. With eight games played, the Bulldogs have a record of 8-0.
In game one of the Boras Classic held in Sacramento on March 21, the Bulldogs defeated defending section champions Elk Grove, 5-4.
“We had a good day in Sacramento. We preformed very well. I’m glad that there were many college scouts out there to see how well we preformed,” head coach Vic Alkire said.
Junior Cody Bolton pitched six of the seven innings in game one against Elk Grove. Bolton lead the team into extra innings.
“Cody pitched very well against this tough competitor. We would have left him in to pitch in the seventh inning, but we wanted to limit his pitching count, so we could utilize him in other difficult games in the near future,” Alkire said.
“I think I pitched really well. During the first inning I struggled a little bit, but after that, with the help of our offense, I gained the confidence I needed to pitch and to push through it,” Bolton said.
The Bulldogs and Elk Grove were tied for most of the game, leading them to play extra innings. In the top of the eighth Cameron Hoff hit a home run over left field fence, giving the Bulldogs a one run advantage over Elk Grove. Tracy set it’s overall record at 7-0.
Hitting that home run felt great, but without the rest of my teammates getting us to that point, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity. So, I’m just glad I could contribute to a good team win.
— Cameron Hoff
“After an exciting victory in game one against Elk Grove, I felt it imperative to remind the team that we came here to win not just one game, but all of them. They had to be ready to defeat Yuba City, and they did,” Alkire said.
Thomas Greely pitched the first four innings. Greely already played in the previous game and had exerted a lot of energy, but was ready to pitch in the second game.
“Thomas gave us a lot of very good offensive plays that day. He had an all around outstanding game,” Alkire said.
“I got a lot of action, and I think I performed fairly well. I just tried to not be too anxious or greedy. It worked out in our favor,” Greely said.
With the victory over Yuba City, the Bulldogs ran their record to of 8-0.
The next game in the Boras Classic is against the Serra Padres on March 23.
“We are all pumped up after the first two wins. We have the talent. If we play our game we can do great things,” Bolton said.
