Local Digest: Mendonca leads Fresno into regional title game

There's no keeping Turlock's Tommy Mendonca down.

The Turlock High graduate drove in four runs for the Fresno State baseball team Saturday as the Bulldogs beat San Diego 6-0 in the NCAA Long Beach Regional. The Bulldogs are one victory away from advancing to the College World Series.

Today Fresno plays the winner of today's Long Beach State-San Diego game for the regional championship. The host Dirtbags eliminated Cal and Downey alum Blake Smith with a 9-2 victory.

Mendonca, who was taken to the hospital after dislocating four knuckles on his right hand while fielding on Friday, went 2 for 4 with a bases-loaded double in the fourth and an RBI single in the sixth. Fresno pitcher Clayton Allison retired the first 15 batters he faced.

Smith did his part for Cal, hitting his 12th homer of the year and pitching two innings of relief for the Bears (33-21-2).

Smith's homer came in the fourth inning, driving in Cal's only runs. He started in right field, but was the fourth of six Cal pitchers called on.

Smith gave up two runs on two hits after taking the mound in the seventh inning. He walked two and struck out four in two innings of work.

College Track and Field

NCAA WESTERN REGIONAL, at Cal State Northridge -- Joe Turner (men's 200), Alex Freitas (800) and Val Pierre Dai'Re (400 hurdles) placed sixth in their finals Saturday and just missed earning automatic berths in the NCAA Division I nationals. Jeff Paneda (800), who set a school record Friday, finished eighth.

The top five individuals in each event and the top three teams in relays automatically advance to the NCAA Championships -- there also are at-large berths to be determined.

Turner, the former MJC star now a junior at University of Washington, clocked 21.23 seconds Saturday (he ran 21.19 in winning his heat Friday). Brent Gray of Long Beach State won in 20.67.

Former Modesto High star Freitas, a sophomore at Long Beach, ran a 1:49.92 in the men's 800. Sacramento State senior Paneda (Manteca High, MJC) was eighth in 1:50.40 -- he ran a school record 1:49.14 in his heat Friday. Andrew Wheating of Oregon won in 1:47.93.

Dai'Re is a junior from Fresno State out of Buhach Colony. Saturday's time of 51.48 was a personal best. Washington State's Jeshua Anderson won in 49.41

Former Davis High runner Kyanna Thomas of San Diego State ran 56.03 in her 400-meter heat but didn't make the finals. She ran on the San Diego State team that placed eighth in the 4x400 finals in 3:41.84. UCLA won in 3:32.82.

The NCAA nationals are June 11-14 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Boxing

Modesto's William Stevenson, 25, beat Patterson's Esdras Aldana, 18, in a cruiserweight fight Saturday at the Dos Palos Boxing Club. Stevenson (196 pounds) won a three-round decision. He trains at Team Xecution of Modesto and Aldana (185) at the Patterson Boxing Club.

Honors

The Cal State Stanislaus athletic department was recognized by the NCAA for overall excellence in diversity. It and Cal Poly Pomona were the only Division II CSU programs honored for having the highest total scores in areas of racial diversity and six other categories.