Pitching, defense carry Flames
Jacob Jordan did his job on the mound.
His Lodi High baseball teammates performed their duties on the diamond.
Combined with offense, the Flames burned the West Wolf Pack 6-2 in Tuesday’s Tri-City Athletic League game at Zupo Field. Lodi (4-3 in the TCAL, 11-8) is now alone in third place, and one game ahead of Lincoln (3-4 in the TCAL, 8-11 following a 3-1 loss to Tokay in 10 innings). Lodi has won seven of its last eight games.
The game featured southpaw pitching between Jordan and West’s Aaron Wagner. Pitching six of seven innings, Jordan struck out four and allowed only four hits. Wagner went only four innings, gave up six hits and walked seven Lodi batters.
“That’s the second lefty we’ve faced all year,” said Lodi coach Hobie Schultz of Wagner.
Wagner kept the Flames’ bats off balance in the second and fourth innings. But Lodi was able to make contact at the plate in the prior innings, which aided Jordan on the bump.
“He’s been solid all year long,” said Schultz of Jordan. “He’s a top-notch pitcher, and that’s what we expect out of him.”
Jordan added, “I was just trying to throw strikes, get ahead in the count.”
On defense, the Flames stifled Wolf Pack base runners. From Lodi first baseman Nathan Foster recording an unassisted out to second baseman Logan Morita, shortstop Logan Stout and third baseman Robby Loiacono recording grounders and a pick-off in the third inning, Jordan and the Flames played solid baseball. Add more contributors in outfielders Alejandro Avilla, Justice Clemens and Bobby Yabumoto.
“They did really well,” said Jordan of the Flames’ defense. “Logan had a lot of good plays, same with Justice.”
Jordan generated the Flames’ first run in the bottom of the first inning. He singled to center field and scored on catcher Alejandro Estrada’s single to left field. Lodi made it 2-0 in the bottom of the second when Loiacono walked and scored on a grounder that gave West (0-7 in the TCAL, 4-13) the second out.
After a quiet third inning, Lodi made it 3-0 in the fourth. Morita, the Flames’ lead-off hitter, walked, moved to second and third on two Wolf Pack infield errors and scored on designated hitter Evan Webb’s sacrifice fly.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Flames, who finished with seven hits in the game, plated two more runs for a 5-0 lead. Yabumoto and Foster were issued back-to-back walks, and then scored on Morita’s single to left field. The Flames’ final run came in the sixth inning when Avilla walked, moved to second when Estrada also walked and then touched home plate on Yabumoto’s single.
West scored its only runs in its final appearance at the plate in the top of the seventh inning. Dillon Duarte singled, moved to second and third on a passed and stolen balls respectively and scored on a passed ball. Wagner walked, moved to second on a grounder and another walk, then came home on another passed ball.
Leading the way on offense for the Flames was Morita and Yabumoto going 2-for-3 each. Jordan, along with Estrada and Foster, had a hit each.
Lodi plays at West on Thursday. They wrap up the series at Zupo Field on Friday.