Tracy Press

Tracy's defense wins the day against Alameda, 3-2, in a close preseason matchup.

Tracy High short stop Stevie Ramos charges the groundball as he plays defense against Alameda in mid-inning action Friday. Photo by Glenn Moore/Tracy Press

The Bulldogs won 3-2 after taking back the lead in the fifth inning when senior outfielder Ryan Scornaienchi drove in two runs. Even his time on base was short-lived, as he tried to stretch a double into a triple and got caught in a run-down.

“I’m just always trying to be aggressive,” Scornaienchi said afterward. “Sometimes it doesn’t work out.”

What did work out, at least for Tracy, was the 3-2 fastball that he sent deep down the right-field line to score Stevie Ramos and Justin Evans, who both got on base with walks.

It was a game where anything given away could be parlayed into a run. Tracy scored first when Jacob Valdez hit a double into right-center field to drive in B.J. O’Brien, who reached base on a fielder’s choice that came close to being a double-play.

Tracy High’s Vince Canale hits the dirt as he dives back into first base ahead of Alameda’s pickoff attempt early in the game. Photo by Glenn Moore/Tracy Press

Tracy freshman pitcher Kyle Moses came in after that and finished the game, but the only strikeout any pitcher threw all day came in the bottom of the sixth when Tracy’s Brandon Jossey swung on a third strike and then took first base when the Alameda catcher dropped the ball and missed the throw to first.

Coaches from both teams knew the game would be won or lost on close plays.

“Sometimes you’ve got to go home and say you got beat,” Hornets coach Ken Arnerich said. “We played well and they played well.”

Tracy coach Vic Alkire said he wants his team to have these close games in pre-league play. In this case, Tracy played a team that made the North Coast Section Class 3A championship game last year and won the NCS championship the year before.

Pitcher Josh Frea winds up to throw to an Alameda batter in early-inning action. Photo by Glenn Moore/Tracy Press

The win puts Tracy at 6-1 this season, with the Bulldogs’ next game at home Tuesday against Golden Valley High of Merced.

(S) Tracy 5, Alameda 1

Ricky Diaz pitched seven innings and struck out 10 Alameda batters in Friday’s win at Monte Vista Middle School.

“Ricky Diaz was totally in command today,” said coach Ken Perez, whose team is now 8-0, with five of those wins in the past week.

The Bullpups put runs on the scoreboard in the first and second innings, and Diaz and the defense kept the Hornets scoreless until the fifth inning. Jonathon Combs, Alex Flores and Dominic Nazario all hit doubles, and Diaz and Jake Rivera also contributed hits.

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