BEST GAME OF THE YEAR?
VARSITY - Saturday, March 22, 2025
1|2|3|4|5|6|7| R| H | E
Liberty 0|0|0|0|1|0|0 1 | 5 | 4
Tracy 1|0|0|0|5|1|- 7 | 7 | 1
Was it the best played Bulldog game of the year so far? It might have been as Tracy faced a solid opponent on Saturday morning but a good recipe of solid defense, excellent pitching, and timely hitting propelled the Bulldogs to a feel good win on the eve of league play.
"From a team perspective that was the best job we have done top to bottom on the field and on the bench this year," said Coach Mac postgame. Coach complimented the strong pitching performance from Jace Johnson and the first varsity hit by the rookie Jordan Alvarado.
There were some small intangibles that Coach Mac spotted that he wanted to illustrate to the team. "I really loved how we took advantage of some things to put pressure on our opponent. We fake bunted a few times that drew the 3rd baseman in and then we got a hit in the hole. Another example was the at bat of Ryan Torres in the 6th with 2 outs. We added a run because he battled through an 8 pitch appearance at the plate. He popped out, but late in the at bat he drew a wild pitch that scored Giannini."
Strength and Conditioning Coach Vinny Pelillo really noticed a difference in the team today which he expressed postgame. "You guys had a different energy on the field today. You came ready, your opponent noticed it too. Keep it going."
Coach Mac closed with one more statement about the development of his team. "I felt like we turned things up a notch today. We did stuff on the field today that we practiced the day before. It's a good place to be as we enter league."
Brown 4AB, 2R, 2H, 1RBI, 2B
Giannini 2AB, 1R, 1H, 1RBI, 2BB
Godoy 3AB, 0R, 1H, 0RBI
Jacobo 1AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI, 1BB
Torres 2AB, 1R, 0H ,0RBI
Freitas 3AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Gutierrez 2AB, 0R, 1H, 0RBI, HBP
Freitas, L. 3AB, 0R, 1H, 0RBI
Alvarado 3AB, 1R, 1H, 0RBI
Bogetti 2AB, 1R, 0H, 0RBI, HBP
Pitching:
Johnson 7 IP, 1R, 0ER, 5H, 2BB, 7K, 89 pitches
3 HITS ENOUGH TO DEFEAT MOUNTAIN HOUSE
VARSITY - March 20, 2025
1|2|3|4|5|6|7| R| H | E
Mtn House 0|0|1|0|2|0|0 3 | 6 | 3
Tracy 3|1|0|0|2|1|x 7 | 3 | 3
Tracy made the most of just three hits on the day (Giannini with 2 of them) as they manufactured a 4-0 lead and let their pitching and defense work to preserve the lead. With the win, the Bulldogs are now 4-6 with 1 game remaining before league starts next week.
Jacoby Freitas got the start and tossed 5 innings of 6 hit ball only allowing 1 unearned run through 4 innings. With a 4-1 lead it looked like Tracy might cruise to victory but the Mustangs capitalized on a Tracy error in the 5th and then executed two singles to make it a tight 4-3 game. The Bulldogs responded in the bottom of the 5th after two outs when Malakai Jacobo, Jace Johnson, and Elijah Gutierrez reached on walks. In a pinch hit role, Leland Freitas put the ball in play and a critical error by the Mustangs gave Tracy breathing room with a 6-3 lead.
Dylan Giannini came in for 6th and 7th inning relief and completely shutdown the Mustangs with the heat on his fastball.
In their postgame remarks, the coaching staff found areas for improvement. "I thought we came to the field today lacking a sense of urgency and intensity," said Coach Mac. "When we make mistakes on the field, we can't internalize it and get down on ourselves, we have to turn the page and re-focus."
"Jacoby Freitas and Dylan Giannini did a very good job for us on the mound today. Dylan closed it out with authority."
Saturday will be a tough test for the Bulldogs as Liberty High of Brentwood (3-2) will be at Vic Alkire Field for a 10 a.m. start.
Brown 2AB, 1R, 0H, 1RBI, 1BB, Sac Fly
Giannini 4AB, 1R, 2H, 0RBI, SB
Torres 3AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI, 1BB
Godoy 3AB, 2R, 1H, 0RBI, 1BB, 2SB
Jacobo 2AB, 1R, 0H, 0RBI, 2BB, 2SB
Johnson 2AB, 1R, 0H, 0RBI, 1BB, HBP, SB
Gutierrez 3AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI, 1BB
Alvarado 2AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Freitas, L. 1AB, 0R, 0H ,0RBI
Bogetti 1AB, 1R, 0H, 0RBI, 2BB, SB
Freitas, J. 5 IP, 3R, 6H, 0ER, 1BB, 4K, 71 pitches
Giannini 2 IP, 0R, 0H, 0ER, 0BB, 2K, 23 pitches
LIMITED OFFENSE IN VARSITY 6-3 LOSS TO PITMAN
Monday, March 10, 2025
On Monday the Bulldogs produced just 4 hits and they put pressure on Pitman in only two innings as they saw their 3-0 lead quickly evaporate in the 5th inning en route to a 6-3 loss.
The Bulldogs would spoil good pitching from Dylan Giannini and solid relief work from Jack Karle as Tracy could only score in the 4th inning.
With each pitcher cruising in the game, Tracy got things going in the 2nd, when Dylan Giannini led off with a double, Ryan Torres walked, and Jacoby Freitas advanced the runners 90 feet. Colby Dorn hit a ground ball that got Giannini tagged out at home eliminating the Tracy threat in that inning.
Tracy would return in the 4th with a very promising inning as Giannini started off by getting hit by the pitch. Torres singled, Freitas walked and then Dorn hit a Sac Fly to score Giannini. Next up was Elijah Gutierrez who crushed a ball off the left field fence to score Torres and Freitas giving Tracy a 3-0 lead. Critical in the downfall of Tracy, would be the fact that this would be the last hit in the game for the Bulldogs with 2 2/3 innings remaining.
Coach Mac spoke to the team postgame about the challenges that baseball brings in situations like this. "One of the hardest things in this game is that we have to keep doing it every day when your not getting the results you want. I did like how we came ready to play but we must make some adjustments at the plate. We are not happy with the results and we have got to dig deeper and find more within ourselves."
Coach Mac gave credit to his pitchers today. "Dylan Giannini and Jack Karle you did a great job today against the Pitman hitters."
The Bulldogs will have time to think about all this as they will have a long bus ride tomorrow to Elk Grove to take on Franklin who they lost to last week. This is a newly scheduled game as part of several adjustments to the game schedule this week. (See changes in article below).
Giuliacci 4AB, 0R, 1H, 0RBI, SB
Brown 4AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Godoy 3AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Giannini 2AB, 1R, 1H, 0RBI, 2B, SB, HBP
Torres 1AB, 1R, 1H, 0RBI, 2BB, SB
Freitas 2AB, 1R, 0H, 0RBI, 1BB, Sac Bunt
Dorn 3AB, 0R, 0H, 1RBI
Gutierrez 3AB, 0R, 1H, 2RBI, 2B, SB
Bogetti 2AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Verduzco 1AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Pitching
Giannini (L) 4 1/3 IP, 5R, 6H, 4ER, 2BB, 5K, 82 pitches
Karle 2 2/3 IP, 1R, 2H, 1ER, 1BB, 3K, 47 pitches
DOGS UNABLE TO CLOSE OUT THE BUFFALOES
1|2|3|4|5|6|7| R | H | E
Manteca 0|1|1|0|0|5|0 7 | 4 | 5
Tracy 0|0|1|2|0|0|0 3 | 6 | 5
The Dogs had a 3-2 lead needing just 4 more defensive outs to seal the game but those outs would be hard to come by as Manteca put a 5 spot up in the 5th to jump ahead with a 7-3 lead and deflate the hopes of the Bulldogs. Coach Mac emphasized throughout the game and postgame about the need to start and finish strong. Neither occurred today as Tracy only found a short lived offensive punch in the 3rd and 4th innings.
Brady Brown was all over the basepaths today having a 3-3 day with a double. Josh Giuliacci worked a great at bat and produced a clutch RBI single. Juan Godoy also had a RBI hit and Dylan Giannini and Elijah Gutierrez doubled.
Giannini got the start and performed well limiting Manteca to just 3 hits and one earned run in his 4 innings. Bulldog fielding errors and other miscues would harm the relief squad today of Jack Karle, Gutierrez, and Godoy who closed out the game. Karle and Gutierrez did not give up a hit and Godoy only gave up one hit in his 1 1/3 of late relief.
"We need to be more aggressive at the plate and learn to deal with low sun defensively," said Coach Mac postgame. "We were just a couple of key plays away from winning this game. Offensively we did not start strong. Lets keep our heads up, get rest, and come back with much better approach for the balance of the week."
Gutierrez 3AB, 1R, 1H, 0RBI, 1BB, 2B, 2SB
Giuliacci 4AB, 0R, 1H, 1RBI
Giannini 3AB, 0R, 1H, 0RBI, 1BB
Jacobo 3AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Brown 3AB, 1R, 3H, 0RBI, 2B
Freitas, J. 3AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Godoy 3AB, 1R, 0H, 1RBI, SB
Verduzco 3AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Johnson
Dorn 1AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Freitas, L. 1AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Juran 1AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Pitching:
Giannini 4 IP, 2R, 3H, 1ER, 0BB, 5K, 56 pitches
Karle 1 2/3 IP, 2R, 0H, 2ER, 3BB, 0K, 35 pitches
Gutierrez 0 IP, 3R, 0H, 0ER, 1BB, 20 pitches
Godoy 1 1/3 IP, 0R, 1H, 0ER, 1BB, 18 pitches
COMEBACK KIDS
Varsity Game 4
1|2|3|4|5|6|7| R | H | E
Patterson 2|0|2|4|1|0|0| 9 | 10 | 0
Tracy 0|0|2|0|2|7|x| 11 | 11 | 3
With Patterson leading 9-4 in the middle of the 6th inning, the Tigers luxury bus cranked its diesel engine next to the field on Lowell Avenue expecting a victorious ball club to board soon. The engine would turn off 20 minutes later as Tracy made a spirited comeback to put 7 on the board and extinguish the celebration coming from the visitor dugout.
Coach Mac was very pleased with his team who did not give up when things looked bleak. "Take pride in finishing those the last 3 innings. The challenge now is to start earlier and finish," said Coach Mac to his team postgame. "Those last three innings are so important, you have to be a good team to finish."
Jace Johnson would get the start on this Monday and he quickly saw what would be a theme on the day that the top of the Patterson order had some firepower. The Tracy bats started slow but would get on the board in the 3rd as Jason Campbell led off with a walk, Josh Giuliacci would quickly single in Campbell. Colby Dorn and Leland Freitas would follow with singles. Elijah Gutierrez then singled to left to score Giuliacci.
In the top of the 4th as Jacoby Freitas took possession of the mound, Patterson began to put their statement on the game as they pulled ahead with 4 runs due to some Tracy errors and blast to center by Guy Allard. With Tracy remaining silent in the bottom half of the inning, Patterson added one more in the 5th to take a dominant 9-2 lead.
In the bottom of the 5th, a new Patterson pitcher took the mound and Tracy found some daylight. Dylan Giannini singled, Gutierrez was hit by a pitch and then Brady Brown connected on a double to center to score Giannini. A few plays later Gutierrez had a nice break on a wild pitch and scored.
Freitas would find his groove and began confusing the Patterson batters in the 6th leading to a quick top half of the inning.
Down by 5 and daylight starting to become a factor, the Bulldogs mounted their best inning of the season. Josh Verduzco promptly hit a sharp single to center. Giuliacci worked a walk, Godoy walked. Verduzco would score on a passed ball and then Leland Freitas would walk. After a pitching change, Giannini doubled to score Godoy and Giuliacci. Gutierrez would walk followed by a sharply hit single by Brady Brown to score Giannini and Gutierrez to make it 10-9 Dogs. Verduzco would double to collect his 2nd hit of the inning and a RBI to make it 11-9.
As light began to fade, Jacoby Freitas promptly finished off Patterson in the top of the 7th to gain an inspirational victory and propel the Bulldogs with positive vibes heading into the evening.
Dorn 3AB, 0R, 1H, 0RBI
Godoy 1AB, 1R, 0H, 0RBI, 1BB
Freitas, L. 3AB, 1R, 1H, 0RBI, 1BB
Giannini 4AB, 2R, 2H, 3RBI, 2B
Gutierrez 2AB, 2R, 1H, 1RBI, 1BB, HBP, SB
Brown 4AB, 1R, 2H, 3RBI, 2B
Jacobo 3AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI, HBP
Freitas, J. 4AB, 0R, 1H, 0RBI, 3B
Campbell 1AB, 1R, 0H, 0RBI, 1BB, SB
Verduzco2AB, 1R, 2H, 1RBI, 2B
Giuliacci 1AB, 2R, 1H, 1RBI, 3BB, SB
Pitching
Johnson 3 IP, 4R, 5H, 2ER, 1BB, 7K, 66 pitches
Freitas, J. (W) 4 IP, 5R, 5H, 1ER, 1BB, 3K, 63 pitches
ONE HIT NOT ENOUGH TO THREATEN OAKDALE
Varsity Game 2
1|2|3|4|5|6|7| R | H | E
Oakdale Mustangs 1|0|2|2|1|1|0| 7 | 8 | 1
Tracy Bulldogs 0|0|1|0|0|0|1| 2 | 1 | 2
The weather cleared this afternoon allowing the Bulldogs to enjoy their home opener vs Oakdale. While Tracy kept the errors well below their Game 1 level, the bats struggled today to keep up with the run production being put up by the Mustangs. Tracy would remain hitless until Josh Verduzco led off the 7th with a single under twilight conditions.
Tracy's only runs would come in the 3rd and 7th. In the 3rd, Josh Giuliacci led off with a walk. Elijah Gutierrez was drilled by a pitch and then Giannini grounded into a fielders choice advancing Giuliacci to 3rd. Jason Campbell reached first on a dropped third strike causing an errant throw to first which scored Giuliacci.
The final Tracy run occurred in the 7th when Verduzco got his lead off single. He would advance on the basepaths when Malachi Jacobo reached on an error. Verduzco scored on a RBI ground out by Giuliacci.
Today's pitching was split between starter Jacoby Freitas, Jack Karle, and Jason Campbell.
Gutierrez 1AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI, HBP(2)
Juran 1AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Dorn 3AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI, 1BB
Giannini 3AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI, SB
Campbell 3AB, 0R, 0H, 1RBI
Freitas, L, 3AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Brown 2AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI, 1BB
Johnson 2AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Verduzco 1AB, 1R, 1H, 0RBI
Bogetti 2AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Jacobo 1AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Giuliacci 2AB, 1R, 0H, 1RBI, 1BB, SB
Pitching:
Freitas, J. 3 IP, 3R, 3H, 1ER, 2BB, 4K, 56 pitches
Karle 1 IP, 2R, 3H, 2ER, 2BB, 0K, 23 pitches
Campbell 3 IP, 2R, 2H, 2ER, 5BB, 3K, 78 pitches
DOGS HOLD ON IN 7TH TO CLAIM FIRST WIN
Varsity Game 3
1|2|3|4|5|6|7| R | H | E
Bear Crk Bruins 0|0|0|0|0|0|4| 4 | 4 | 0
Tracy Bulldogs 0|1|0|1|0|3|x| 5 | 5 | 2
Tracy was getting their first taste of a balanced attack with some hitting and good defense and had it on autopilot heading into the 7th leading 5-0. In the top of the inning Coach Mac told his team to "close it out," but the next 10 minutes didn't quite go according to plan. In the end, the Dogs averted disaster and did finish off Bear Creek with the 5-4 win.
Tracy would get good pitching on the day with Dylan Giannini getting the start for the first three innings allowing just two hits and collecting 3 strikeouts. The strong pitching continued as Freshman Brady Brown entered in the middle innings and showed what a bright future he has collecting three strikeouts and not allowing a hit in two innings. Coach Mac gave the ball to Elijah Gutierrez to close out the game and he had a smooth 6th but ran into some choppy waters in the 7th as there would be a couple of errors and hit by pitches that made for a tense close.
Offensively on the day Jace Johnson had 2RBIs and a double, Jacoby Freitas tripled and collected an RBI, and Malachi Jacobo had a RBI double. Brown, Dorn, and Freitas each had stolen bases.
"I really liked the way we entered the game today after starting the season 0-2," said Coach Mac in his postgame comments. "We had a positive attitude and that was important for me to see. The flip side was how we finished. A good team can win the last several innings of a game. We have got to get better there. Ultimately that first win can be hard to acquire but we finally got it."
Coach Mac was inspired by the three pitchers who took the mound today. "I thought our pitchers did well on the bump. We asked a lot of Dylan Giannini and he delivered in his start. Freshman Brady Brown had a really nice showing and Elijah stepped up for us joining the pitching ranks."
Coach Mac also complimented the offense. "Malachi Jacobo had a another big hit for us. I saw some good at bats like from Jace Johnson and Jacoby Freitas. Colby Dorn was on base a lot. We had a lot of individual efforts come through here today, but it started with our pitchers," said a satisfied Coach Mac who got his first win as a Tracy High coach.
Dorn 3AB, 0R, 1H, 1RBI, 1BB, SB
Freitas, L 3AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI, 1BB
Giannini 3AB, 0R, 1H, 0RBI
Gutierrez 3AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Brown 1AB, 2R, 0H, 0RBI, 2BB, 2SB
Jacobo 2AB, 2R, 1H, 1RBI, 1BB, 2B
Johnson 3AB, 0R, 1H, 2RBI, 2B
Freitas, J. 2AB, 1R, 1H, 1RBI, 3B, HBP, SB
Silveira Marquez 2AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Giuliacci 1AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Pitching
Giannini 3 IP, 0R, 2H, 0ER, 0BB, 3K, 44 pitches
Brown 2 IP, 0R, 0H, 0ER, 1BB, 3K 28 pitches
Gutierrez 2IP, 4R, 2H, 1ER, 0BB, 3K 53 pitches
FINAL TWO OUTS ELUSIVE IN EIGHT ERROR 8-7 LOSS
Varsity Game 1
1|2|3|4|5|6|7| R | H | E
Tracy Bulldogs 0|0|0|1|3|3|0| 7 | 6 | 8
Tokay Tigers 1|0|0|0|2|1|4| 8 | 8 | 2
There was excitement in the air for the players and coaches as they prepared to take on the Tokay Tigers Monday. Overall the players were anxious to get in game mode after weeks of intensive practice. The Tracy bats started off quiet for the first three innings but Jace Johnson settled in to a nice rhythm and would deliver 4 innings of 2 hit and 8 strikeout ball keeping the game tight.
The Tracy bats would begin to come to life in the fourth and then swell with back-to-back 3 run innings in the 5th and 6th giving Tracy a 7-4 lead after six innings. With 1 out in the 7th, things began to head South for the Bulldogs as several walks and errors would lead to a heartbreaking 4 run game-winning inning for the Tigers.
There were several positives in the Tracy game with the pitching of Johnson, the catching of Leland Freitas and a two hit spirited offensive performance by Colby Dorn. Jason Campbell also provided a spark with 2RBIs in his 1-3 day. Ultimately though the eight errors would be the downfall for the Bulldogs on this opening day preventing what should have been a festive end of the game for Tracy on the road.
The Bulldogs will be back in action on Wednesday at home vs Oakdale at 3:30 p.m.
Gutierrez, 1AB, 2R, 0H, 0RBI, 1BB, 2HBP, SB
Dorn 4AB, 2R, 2H, 1RBI
Giannini 3AB, 1R, 1H, 1RBI
Campbell 3AB, 1R, 1H, 2RBI, 1BB, 2B
Freitas, L. 3AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI, 1BB
Freitas, J. 2AB, 0R, 1H, 0RBI, 1BB
Jacobo 1AB, 0R, 1H, 0RBI, 2B
Juran 1AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Karle 3AB, 0R, 0H, 0RBI
Verduzco 3AB, 1R, 0H, 0RBI, HBP
Bogetti 2AB, 0R, 0H, 1HBP, 1BB
Pitching
Johnson 4IP, 1R, 2H, 1ER, 0BB, 8K, 59 pitches
Freitas, J. 2/3 IP, 2R, 2H, 2ER, 3BB, 25 pitches
Giannini (L) 1 2/3 IP, 5R, 4H, 0ER, 1BB, 1K, 41 pitches
A MEANINGFUL GAME FOR THE TALL LEFTY
On Friday night our own Jace Johnson had one of the best pitching performances in recent memory for the Bulldogs against St. Mary’s. Even though the Dogs lost 1-0 in 10 innings, Jace gained a lot of memories from this game and garnered a lot of respect in the region.
This weekend I interviewed Jace about his thoughts facing the Rams Friday at Billy Hebert Field.
Stu: Do You Know Any of the St. Mary’s Players Well?
Jace: Yes, I have played travel ball with several of them and there is one player who I have played six to seven years with. Friday was special going up against them and it is always a fun rivalry trying to get the best of the Rams.
Stu: What pitches were working for you on Friday?
Jace: All three of my pitches were working (fastball, curve, and changeup). The curveball was more effective against their left handed batters. After my first pitch I received feedback that I had hit 89 on the gun and that really motivated me. I normally throw in the 85-87 range.
Stu: Take me through a stressful point in the game for you personally.
Jace: It was the 4th inning and there was 1 out and 1 on. I threw Hardcastle a curve ball and he roped it to left. Eli Juran made a nice throw to Juan Godoy and he relayed to Ryan Torres who made the out at the plate That is when I thought they might score. We followed with a 3rd out when I spiked the ball in the dirt and Hardcastle broke for home thinking Torres would not field it. Torres was able to hold up Hardcastle and nail him back at 3rd with Godoy.
I also got some runners on base in the 7th that was cause for concern, but the 4th inning was the biggest threat to me.
Stu: How would you define your strength level as you entered the extra innings? Did you have to rely on different pitches than when you started?
Jace: I did not have to adjust. I felt strong all the way through the game. Facing their 1-4 hitters I had to be really careful as the game progressed. I stayed away from the heart of the zone and tried to get them to chase out of the zone, which they helped me with.
Stu: When you got pulled for pitch count in the midst of the 10th inning and the Rams eventually scored to win it, how did that feel after your huge investment in the game?
Jace: It was heartbreaking in the moment. I really thought we were going to win. The support I received immediately after the game by the players really helped a lot. The support and positive vibes continued on the bus ride home.
Overall, we played very well as a team and that was a real positive that will continue for us.
Johnson and the Bulldogs (3-3) will now face Lodi (5-1) three times this week. Johnson will get another important moment on the mound when he is scheduled to start on Friday at Zupo Field.