TRACY – The Northgate junior all-stars had reeled off three consecutive victories to put themselves in position to win one of their final two games for the District 67 championship, now Northgate is forced to win the finale after dropping Saturday’s meeting with the Tracy National junior all-stars 5-3 at Monticello School.
Northgate struggled offensively through the game’s first four innings, getting only six runners on base in the first three innings, with half of those coming from Tracy walks. Tracy pushed across its first run in the top of the third, but the previously undefeated Northgate squad responded, answering with a run off a RBI base hit from Brandon Ridgewell.
Northgate starter Dakota Conners found himself in trouble for the first time in the tournament when Tracy led off the fourth with a pair of sharply hit singles. Jordan Kirby was able to advance to third on a passed ball, setting up Tracy’s first RBI groundout for a 2-1 lead.
Jacob Thomasson grounded out to second to push Tracy up 3-1 and put Northgate into an unfamiliar situation. Trailing by a pair, Northgate clearly had to close out the final four innings playing at a higher standard, and the team proved incapable of doing that.
Northgate forfeited its best opportunity when its first two batters reached base in the bottom of the fifth. After reaching on a base hit, inning leadoff hitter Brad Tajii was gunned down attempting to swipe second. Conners then reached on a walk, but found himself in a run down after being picked off of first base.
Those two outs pulled Northgate from its most viable threat, and left Tracy six outs away from forcing another contest. Tracy made the winner-take-all contest official, when they led off the sixth inning with back-to-back doubles off of Conners. The second double drove in a run and an RBI single gave Tracy a 5-1 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Northgate would chip-away with a run in the sixth as Joe Menzel came around to score after a walk, but a Robbie Gleockler run in the seventh would be all for Northgate.
The two clubs will do battle today at 10 a.m. at Monticello, with the winner claiming the District 67 crown, and extending its season for at least two more contests.
Northgate struggled offensively through the game’s first four innings, getting only six runners on base in the first three innings, with half of those coming from Tracy walks. Tracy pushed across its first run in the top of the third, but the previously undefeated Northgate squad responded, answering with a run off a RBI base hit from Brandon Ridgewell.
Northgate starter Dakota Conners found himself in trouble for the first time in the tournament when Tracy led off the fourth with a pair of sharply hit singles. Jordan Kirby was able to advance to third on a passed ball, setting up Tracy’s first RBI groundout for a 2-1 lead.
Jacob Thomasson grounded out to second to push Tracy up 3-1 and put Northgate into an unfamiliar situation. Trailing by a pair, Northgate clearly had to close out the final four innings playing at a higher standard, and the team proved incapable of doing that.
Northgate forfeited its best opportunity when its first two batters reached base in the bottom of the fifth. After reaching on a base hit, inning leadoff hitter Brad Tajii was gunned down attempting to swipe second. Conners then reached on a walk, but found himself in a run down after being picked off of first base.
Those two outs pulled Northgate from its most viable threat, and left Tracy six outs away from forcing another contest. Tracy made the winner-take-all contest official, when they led off the sixth inning with back-to-back doubles off of Conners. The second double drove in a run and an RBI single gave Tracy a 5-1 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Northgate would chip-away with a run in the sixth as Joe Menzel came around to score after a walk, but a Robbie Gleockler run in the seventh would be all for Northgate.
The two clubs will do battle today at 10 a.m. at Monticello, with the winner claiming the District 67 crown, and extending its season for at least two more contests.
