Tracy Press

West and Millennium are still in the running in the TCAL and HCL.

Tracy High’s softball team clinched a spot in the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs with a 14-1 win Thursday against the Titans from Cesar Chavez High.

Tracy catcher Nikki Moreno hit three home runs — pushing her total to 11 for the season — in three consecutive trips to the plate in the win at Arnaiz Stadium in Stockton.

Tracy is now 6-2 in the San Joaquin Athletic Association and 15-8 overall. Lincoln and Lodi are also in the competition for the top spots in the SJAA. The section has three playoff spots for the SJAA, and even if Tracy ties for third place with Bear Creek at the end of league play next week, the Bulldogs outscored the Bruins, 12-1, in their first game April 10 and 3-2 in their second game last week, giving them the tiebreaker advantage.

Tracy took a four-run lead in the first inning Thursday, including three runs on Moreno’s first home run, and scored 10 more in the third inning. Moreno hit a solo homer, and then Tracy loaded the bases before Katie Stutz’s grand slam. Moreno came back up a second time in the third to hit a two-run shot. The game ended on the mercy rule after four innings.

Other Bulldogs to get at least two hits were Samantha Balanon, Beth Worthington and Devonne Alaoan. Pitcher Morgan Hayes struck out nine in four innings and gave up one walk, which was followed by the Titans’ only hit, a triple in the third inning to drive in their only run.

West 14, McNair 0

The West softball team recorded a 14-0 win at home Thursday against the McNair High Eagles in the final league game before the Wolf Pack meets its toughest foes in the Tri-City Athletic League.

Jacey Brown and Ashley Cox took on pitching duties and allowed one hit in five innings. Two McNair batters got on base through infield errors in the fifth, the closest McNair came to scoring.

West went through its batting order in the bottom of the first with only one out on a fly ball to center field. Everyone else got on base through hits, walks and errors, and everyone who got on base scored, with leadoff batters Elida Rubio and Shannon Manchester scoring twice in the first inning to give West a 10-0 lead.

McNair infielders snagged a couple line drives to keep West scoreless in the second, but West scored four more in the third. The game ended in the fifth inning on the mercy rule.

Next week’s games will decide if West will be one of the two teams in the TCAL to go to the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs, which will be May 17 through 22 at the Sacramento Softball Complex on Watt Avenue in Sacramento.

Undefeated St. Mary’s is in first place, with West and Tokay tied for second. The winner of the West-Tokay match in Lodi on Tuesday takes sole possession of second place, but that could change Friday when the teams play their last games.

West plays St. Mary’s, which beat the Wolf Pack 4-2 on April 22, at home next Friday, while Tokay plays winless Stagg. If West and Tokay end up tied for second in the league, the playoff spot goes to whichever team scored the most runs in their two head-to-head league games.

Millennium 3, Brookside Christian 2

The Falcons recorded another win going into the final week of Harvest Christian League play. With a 3-5 third-place record in the HCL, Millennium could still gain a playoff spot if the Falcons beat Big Valley Christian in their last game of the season next Friday.

Mary Sue Savage pitched seven inning and gave up one hit.

The Falcons scored in the fourth inning, when Jaelyn Woods hit a two-run homer. Brookside tied up the game in the sixth inning. But in the bottom of the sixth, Nicole Ochoa scored the go-ahead run for the Falcons when she hit a deep shot to left field for a double and came home on an error.

(S) Tracy 14, Chavez 0

Pitcher Stephanie Fisher gave up no hits and no walks Thursday to keep Tracy undefeated.

The Bullpups are 8-0 in the SJAA and 14-2 overall. Tracy did have two fielder errors that allowed two Chavez runners on base. Fisher also hit two home runs to lead Tracy’s attack. Others to get hits included Latoya Whiten, Natalya Motyka, Taylor Slabaugh and Heather Haack.

(S) West 16, McNair 0

Kelsea Taylor and Brianna May combined for a no-hitter Thursday at home.

West collected 10 hits and took advantage of McNair’s errors to run up the score. Taylor hit a triple in the Wolf Pack’s nine-run fourth inning, came up again to get another base hit in the fourth and drove in two runs during the game. Nicole Ricobono got two hits, including a double in the second.

The win puts West at 8-0 in the TCAL and 19-3 overall.

(F) Tracy 11, East Union 2

Tracy outscored East Union, 11-2, and outhit the Lancers, 17-4, on Friday, but Tracy coach Keith Britt said it was a well-played game on both sides.

Tracy pitcher Taylor Martinez struck out 10, and Tracy got home runs from Martinez and Brianna Aldridge. Martinez also hit a triple, and Alex Motyka had three hits in three at-bats. The win puts Tracy at 20-2-1 for the season with two more games next week.

(F) Tracy 8, Sonora 0

The winning pitcher for Tracy on Wednesday was Marissa Harmon, who gave up just one hit and struck out eight Sonora batters at the Tracy Sports Complex.

Tracy took advantage of 10 walks from the Sonora pitcher. Motyka hit a two-run home run, and the Bullpuppies had effective base running from Jasmin Guevara, who stole two bases and scored two runs, and Sara Pombo, who stole four bases and scored two runs.

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written by THSstudent , May 08, 2008

Nikki Moreno is a boss!