TRACY — Nikki Moreno waited eight innings and four at-bats for a pitch she could drive. One was all she needed.

Moreno, the Tracy High softball team's greatest power source, launched a soaring home run over the left-field wall in the bottom of the eighth, giving the Bulldogs a 3-2 win over first-place Lodi on Tuesday.

"It was the only pitch I saw that was (a good pitch to hit) all game," Moreno said. "I had to take advantage of it."

Tracy's win means the Flames will have to at least wait until the final game of the regular season, Thursday against Lincoln, to clinch the outright championship of the San Joaquin Athletic Association. Another win by Tracy (16-8, 6-2 SJAA) and a loss by Lodi (19-7, 8-1) would give the Bulldogs a share of the title.

Even if Tuesday's victory winds up meaning nothing in terms of league standings or playoff seedings, it meant a lot to the Bulldogs, who overcame a 2-0 deficit in the sixth inning to hand Lodi its first league loss.

"It's momentum, and (the knowledge that) we can compete with the best," Tracy coach Greg Fish said. "You can see it in their faces. You believe in yourselves more."

Things looked bleak for the Bulldogs in the top of the sixth inning, when Lodi finally put some hits together against Tracy starter Morgan Hayes and pushed across two runs.

In the bottom of the sixth, though, a one-out error started a rally for the Bulldogs. Samantha Fisher doubled into the gap in left-center to

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score Moreno, then Stephanie Leles singled to score Fisher and tie the game 2-2.

Hayes settled down and kept the Flames scoreless, and the game went into extra innings, setting up Moreno's heroics in the eighth.

Moreno's home run was her 12th of the season, but it was by far the most important.

"Every time she comes up to bat, she can do that," Fish said. "That was her biggest hit this year."

Tracy's sophomores, led yet again by dual threat Stephanie Fisher, beat Lodi 12-0 to move to 9-0 and clinch the league championship.

Fisher pitched a three-hitter, walked one and struck out seven. She also went 3-for-4, with three home runs, seven RBIs and four runs scored.

West 5, Tokay 0

LODI — The Wolf Pack clinched the second-and-final playoff berth in the Tri-City Athletic League with a convincing win over second-place Tokay.

Brittaney Enterline scattered seven hits and struck out seven in a shutout for the Wolf Pack (15-11, 7-2 TCAL), which will wrap up its regular season against first-place St. Mary's on Thursday.

Caitlyn Girard went 3-for-4 for West and drove in two runs. Elida Rubio was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI.

BOYS TENNIS

Turlock 5, West 4

TRACY — The Wolf Pack came up just short in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section team playoffs.

West swept the three doubles matches, led by Daniel de la Cruz and Serggio Antonio at No.1, and got a victory at No. 4 singles by Parker Lewis. But although three of the other singles matches went to three sets, the Wolf Pack couldn't get the final victory it needed to advance.