LODI BASEBALL TAKES DOWN TRACY
Hayden Lewis clearly remembers the last time he had two hits in the same inning.
On the mound, Robby Loiacono was beyond ready for a big game.
The rest of their Lodi High baseball teammates provided plenty of support. Together, the Flames burned Tracy 122 in a Tri-City Athletic League contest at Zupo Field on Thursday afternoon. The game was called after six innings because of the 10-run mercy rule. The victory helps Lodi even the best-ofthree series with Tracy; on Tuesday, Tracy posted a 9-3 win over on its diamond.
Lodi (1-1 in the TCAL, 7-6) broke open a scoreless game in the bottom of the third inning with seven runs, with 11 batters taking hacks, as Lewis recorded two trips. Leading off the inning, Lewis doubled near the rightcenter field wall. In his second appearance, he drove the ball to almost the same exact spot for another double.
“Back when I was 12 yearsold and I was playing in the Majors with Lodi BOBS,” said Lewis of when he had two hits in the same inning in the Lodi Boosters of Boys/Girls Sports league. “The first double (Thursday) started the rally. We were able to keep that momentum going.”
In between Lewis’ extrabase hits, teammates Logan Morita, who is the Flames’ leadoff hitter, and Colton Smithhardt belted doubles, this time in the opposite direction to left field. In between the Flames’ extra-base hits was a single from Evan Webb, while Angelo Zazzarino and Bobby Yabumoto earned walks. When the inning was complete, Lodi had five hits.
“Big inning,” said Lodi coach Hobie Schultz. “That’s a big momentum builder right there. We had the offense today ... things were going our way. Overall team effort; all 15 guys (on the roster).”
Three hits led to the Flames increasing their lead to 11-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning. Another double off the bat of Smithhardt (3-for-4), plus singles from Yabumoto and Logan Stout (2-for-3) paved the way toward a very comfortable lead.
Loiacono went the distance for the Flames. In six inning work, the senior struck out six and gave up six hits.
“I knew it was a big game,” Loiacono said. “I knew that we could definitely take this game from them.”
Schultz added, “It starts on the mound. His pitch count was down.”
Tracy scored its only two runs in the top of the fifth inning. The Bulldogs used four hits that included doubles by Paxton Andrade and Carlos Vasquez, plus singles from leadoff hitter Josh Alvarado and Ryan Dzoan.
The Bulldogs’ runs forced the Flames to add another run to try to end the game in the bottom of the same inning. Lodi almost did that, as Ian Watanabe (walk), Stout (hit by pitch) and Smithhardt (third hit of the game with a single to right field) loaded the bases with only one out. But Tracy got out of the jam thanks to a fly ball and fielder’s choice for three outs.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Lodi pushed across its run for the mercy rule. Yabumoto walked and moved around the base paths on Chad Plath’s single and an infield fly. Then Yabumoto scored on Stout’s fast-moving single down the third base line to end the game.
Today, Lodi and Tracy wrap up their series on the Bulldogs’ diamond. Stout is projected to take the mound for the afternoon game.
“I believe this is going to set us up very well for (today),” Lewis said. “I believe all of us have faith in him to throw strikes. Do our job to back him up.”