LODI – Zac Carrillo managed to hold a potent Lodi All-Star team in check over six innings, but the Manteca 15-year-old Babe Ruth All-Stars could not muster enough offense to support his effort, falling to Lodi 5-2 in the Central California District 1 elimination semifinal Thursday at Kofu Park.
Lodi had seemingly set the tempo for an upbeat contest, taking a one-run lead after the game’s first three batters. Lodi led off with a base hit, followed by a sacrifice bunt, which led to a full-count RBI single to right by Austin Vickers.
They would add another run on a sacrifice fly, but could not add anymore after Carrillo clutched up and got a popout with runners on second and third. Manteca did not buckle, getting leadoff hitter Makana Ward on via an error to start the game. A balk advanced him to third and Joseph Collett promptly stroked a base hit for Manteca’s first run.
After putting up the immediate response, Carrillo went to work, sitting six consecutive Lodi batters down in order and sparking a lifeless Manteca dugout. Lodi would add another run in the fourth, but it looked like the final dagger since Manteca only advanced one runner into scoring position over the next four innings.
Carrillo showed his resiliency through his six innings of work, single-handedly pulling away Lodi insurance runs by leaving a pair stranded in scoring position with an infield-groundout and a routine fly ball in his final frame.
Manteca saw the chances of keeping its season alive dwindle away for good when Lodi answered a Manteca run in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. The two insurance runs gave Manteca’s squad too tough of a challenge.
Manteca got a two-out base hit from Gerald Parente, but that would be all as the all-star team’s season came to an end. Both Parente and Collett were the only Manteca players to record hits.
Lodi will meet up with San Benito today at 6 p.m. and with a victory, they can force a double header and have a chance at a state tournament berth.
Lodi had seemingly set the tempo for an upbeat contest, taking a one-run lead after the game’s first three batters. Lodi led off with a base hit, followed by a sacrifice bunt, which led to a full-count RBI single to right by Austin Vickers.
They would add another run on a sacrifice fly, but could not add anymore after Carrillo clutched up and got a popout with runners on second and third. Manteca did not buckle, getting leadoff hitter Makana Ward on via an error to start the game. A balk advanced him to third and Joseph Collett promptly stroked a base hit for Manteca’s first run.
After putting up the immediate response, Carrillo went to work, sitting six consecutive Lodi batters down in order and sparking a lifeless Manteca dugout. Lodi would add another run in the fourth, but it looked like the final dagger since Manteca only advanced one runner into scoring position over the next four innings.
Carrillo showed his resiliency through his six innings of work, single-handedly pulling away Lodi insurance runs by leaving a pair stranded in scoring position with an infield-groundout and a routine fly ball in his final frame.
Manteca saw the chances of keeping its season alive dwindle away for good when Lodi answered a Manteca run in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh. The two insurance runs gave Manteca’s squad too tough of a challenge.
Manteca got a two-out base hit from Gerald Parente, but that would be all as the all-star team’s season came to an end. Both Parente and Collett were the only Manteca players to record hits.
Lodi will meet up with San Benito today at 6 p.m. and with a victory, they can force a double header and have a chance at a state tournament berth.
