Thursday, Jul. 24, 2008

Leading Off

Baseball America honors Buhach hurler

Right-handed hurler Dylan Floro, who led Buhach Colony High to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I championship series last spring, was selected to Baseball America's All-America second team. The 6-foot-2-inch, 170-pound Floro made The Bee's All-Stanislaus District team after going 12-1 with a 0.75 ERA. He had 139 strikeouts and 21 walks in 94 innings, averaging 10.4 strikeouts and 1.5 walks per seven innings. Of 28 players on the All-America teams, Floro was one of two juniors and one of seven from California.

Downey grad signs with SE Missouri State

Catcher-infielder Hollie Clark, a 2008 Downey High grad, signed a national letter of intent to play softball for Southeast Missouri State. Clark was a three-time All-Modesto Metro Conference selection and had three doubles in a game last season. "Hollie is a true all-around utility player," Redhawks coach Lana Richmond said. "She will give us a lot of options on the defensive side, but it is her bat that will make the noise. Hollie is a solid contact hitter who can also hit for power."

Covrig wins Maroney; Smith falls in 'Bama Local golfers Daniel Covrig and Shawnee Martinez won the boys and girls overall championships at the George Maroney Junior Championships at Dryden Park, but Turlock High star Sam Smith lost to Jordan Gilmore of Sparks, Nev., 1 up in the first round of match play at the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship in Shoal Creek, Ala. Smith was 2 up through 12 holes, but Gilmore won the next three to take a 1-up lead. Smith squared it on 17 but lost the match with a bogey on the par-4 18th. Covrig shot a 69 for a two-day 143 total to win the 16-17 age division. Bryson Dechambeau shot a 67 for a 143 total to win the 14-15 group. Covrig birdied the first playoff hole to claim the overall title. Martinez shot 82-72 for a 154 total and a four-stroke win.

Modesto's Fairchilds in USTA NorCal Hall

Modesto Fitness & Racquet Club teaching pro Mark Fairchilds was inducted into the USTA NorCal Tennis Hall of Fame during the Bank of the West Classic at Stanford. "Being inducted is the culmination of all the tennis I've ever played, all the great people I've played against and all the great people I've partnered with," said Fairchilds, one of four inductees. Fairchilds has won more than 100 USTA tournaments and was the USPTA's national open player of the year in 1993. Among his victories was a 6-2, 6-2 win over then-14-year-old Pete Sampras.