Tracy Press

It was a similar story for the West and Tracy softball teams this week at the NorCal Classic in Tracy.

West High’s Ashley Cox takes the throw at first base for the out as Bear River’s Courteny Ceo sprints to the base during the NorCal Classic softball tournament Friday afternoon. Glenn Moore/Tracy Press

The losses put both teams in today’s consolation rounds as play continues into the evening at the sports complex.

The tournament hosts 48 varsity teams and also includes tournament play at West High School and Northgate Park in Manteca for junior varsity teams. For this year’s tournament, the Tracy High School sophomore team filled a spot in the "silver" bracket, one of three 16-team brackets, to replace Ripon Christian.

As of Friday afternoon, Tracy had won its first game and lost its second. West lost its first game and won its second. The Tracy sophomore team won three of its four games, but because it is a junior varsity team, it was not allowed to move up in the bracket and did not have a chance for the championship.

West plays again at 11 a.m. today in the consolation round, and Tracy will play in the consolation round at 3 p.m.

West 4, Lodi 0

West was overdue for a win Friday night, and the Wolf Pack got what it needed from pitcher Jacey Brown, who allowed three hits and struck out five in a five-inning shutout. Gina West contributed with a double, and Cherie DeJesus went 2-for-2. Arianna Welch extended West’s lead with a solo home run in the fifth inning.

Coach Steve Anastasio said it was a satisfying win for the team after a frustrating loss earlier in the afternoon and six losses in the Pack’s past seven games.

"We’re a better team than that," he said. "We just need to stay focused."

Bear River 8, West 1

A series of errors sank the Wolf Pack early in West’s first game Friday. The Bruins got two on base through infield errors in the first inning, and they both made it home on Brooke Mosman’s home run over the left-field fence.

Two more runners got on base through errors in the second inning and scored when a pop fly landed between West outfielders. In the third, a hard grounder with the bases loaded got past West’s infielders and allowed three more to score.

West scored its only run in the third inning after Caitlyn Girard got on base through a fielder’s choice, advanced on a Welch single and ran home a base hit by Jamie Costa.

St. Mary’s 10, Tracy 3

Tracy High’s Samantha Fisher rips a two-run double in the first inning during the Bulldogs’ game against St. Mary’s. Glenn Moore/Tracy Press

But it was all the Bulldogs had, and in the two innings when Tracy did get runners on base, the third and the fifth, Tracy’s half closed with the bases loaded and no runs scored.

"When we needed a base hit — we couldn’t get one," coach Greg Smith said, adding that his team missed two key opportunities to make a comeback.

"You can’t do that and beat a good team," he said.

St. Mary’s also scored a couple of runs in the first, but it came back in a big way in the third inning with a five-hit, four-run rally. St. Mary’s coach Robert Harmon said he usually has a couple of batters get the big hits.

"Today, for the first time, we had good production all the way through our lineup," he said.

The Rams scored again in the fourth and fifth innings, with the last run ending the game on the seven-run mercy rule.

Tracy 7, Modesto Christian 2

Tracy JV 20, Grant 0

The Bulldogs scored without much effort in the first inning of their last game Friday as Grant’s pitcher allowed one walk after another, sending in 13 runs for Tracy. The Bulldogs found some pitches they could hit, and Stephanie Fisher got three hits, four RBIs and a triple. Brianna Frymeyer had two hits, a double and two RBIs, and Mariah Taloa knocked in one with a triple.

Tracy JV 6, Delhi 0

Fisher led her team Friday morning, pitching seven innings with eight strikeouts and three hits, and went to the plate for three hits, including a triple and three RBIs. Taylor Slabaugh went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs.

Tracy JV 7, Central Catholic 5

Central Catholic’s leadoff batter hit a double off Fisher, which was the only hit she allowed for the entire game Thursday. Latoya Whiten went 3-for-3, including a double, and Tee Gilbert’s one hit was a double with bases loaded to score three runs in the fifth inning.

Central Valley 7, Tracy JV 5

The Tracy sophomore team went into the bottom of the sixth inning tied 5-5 with Central Valley on Thursday, but it gave up two runs and couldn’t score again in the seventh. It was the Bulldogs’ only loss for the tournament, and coach Gerianne McGee said she was encouraged to see her team do so well against a varsity team. Fisher got three of Tracy’s hits, and Natalya Motyka got two hits, including a double and two RBIs.

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