Local Digest: Hot last round carries MJC to state golf
The Modesto Junior College golf team has qualified for the State Championships for the first time in recent memory, thanks to an epic comeback.
The Pirates, locked in seventh place in a field of eight after the first round of the Northern California Championships on Monday at The Reserve at Spanos Park, rallied to fourth place and a spot at state next Monday at Cypress Ridge in Arroyo Grande.
MJC (two-round total of 782 strokes), six strokes behind both Fresno City and Folsom Lake at the half-way point, leapfrogged three teams and edged Sierra by a swing to advance.
“I told the kids after the first round had ended that the tournament starts now, knowing that mental and physical fatigue would become a big factor on what teams moved on,” MJC coach Ron Gross said. “Our team mantra is ‘Every stroke counts,’ and that certainly was the case today.”
The Pirates’ John Moorshead (75-74 – 149) earned All-NorCal honors.
Chabot won with a total of 753.
Silva leads driver clinic and exhibition – River Oaks veteran teaching pro Greg Silva, one of the valley’s leading instructors on how to hit the driver, leads a driver clinic and exhibition on Saturday from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at River Oaks. The cost is $15 per person or $25 for two, and $10 for juniors. For more information, call 667-7272.
Baseball
Kramer hitting at Altoona – Turlock High graduate Kevin Kramer has caught the attention of baseball observers with the Altoona (Penn.) Curve, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ AA affiliate in the Eastern League. Kramer, an infielder, had reached base in all 26 of his games through Tuesday and led the league in batting average (.380) and on-base-slugging percentage (1.101).
The former Bulldog star, a member of the 2013 NCAA champion UCLA Bruins, was the 62nd pick of the 2015 MLB Draft.
Boxing
Young boxers at Red Shield – Young national champion Andre Flores of Modesto is featured in an amateur boxing program, sanctioned by USA Boxing, on Saturday, May 20, at the Red Shield Salvation Army Center. Others on the card for the fundraiser are Modestans Damien Flores (Andre’s brother), Jesse Conde, Gary Dodd and Alvaro Cuevas. Admission is $15 and the bouts begin at 2 p.m.
This story was originally published May 10, 2017 at 1:52 PM with the headline "Local Digest: Hot last round carries MJC to state golf."