Big 8 baseball leader Santa Rosa tames Modesto JC

The Modesto Junior College Pirates performed their postgame duties minus much talk or emotion – raking the infield dirt, watering dry spots and cleaning up after another game.

Earlier on Saturday afternoon, the Pirates played hard and made Big 8 Conference leader Santa Rosa feel their presence – without much to show for it.

Which was in keeping for most of their 2016 season.

Modesto, beaten 5-3 at the Pirates’ park, is the quintessential grinding ballclub. Not much is going right for MJC (8-17, 2-8), and those postgame rituals may provide a little therapy.

“We scratched back. I was proud of the way we competed,” coach Zeb Brayton said. “We just gave ’em a couple of extra outs.”

That’s not good against a Santa Rosa team (22-2, 10-0) riding an 11-game winning streak. A lost fly ball in the sun here, an unearned run there, and it was all the Bear Cubs needed this day. They set the terms quickly with a 3-0 lead, and a gritty MJC comeback fell short.

“It was just a couple of mistakes, and they capitalized,” Brayton summarized.

The Pirates must wonder if the baseball gods ever will smile on them. Thursday at Sierra, they positioned themselves for a modest two-game winning streak. Modesto rallied from a 2-0 deficit to tie and loaded the bases in the eighth. Robert Steves scorched a line drive earmarked for at least two runs – until the the Wolverines’ second baseman flipped that script with a diving catch and a double play. Sierra won it an inning later on a walk-off walk.

“We’re just fighting, competing, trying to scratch out a win,” shortstop Colt Parshall said.

Santa Rosa, a business-like team on a roll, trotted out lefty Matt Estes (5-0), who struck out five and averted major trouble for 5 2/3 innings. He and his teammates were pushed along by center fielder Bryce Nagata (3 for 5), who touched MJC starter Brandon Scott (4-3) for two solo home runs that touched down near the scoreboard in left.

“Not only did we give up some runs, but they extended Brandon’s pitch count,” Brayton said.

Modesto responded with designated hitter Anthony Enwiya, who singled home Steves (2 for 4) in the fourth and brought in Michael McGhee (2 for 4) with a groundout in the sixth. Parshall’s fielder’s choice in the eighth closed the deficit to 4-3, but the Pirates eventually stranded two, as they did in the first and fifth.

Eleven games remain on the Modesto schedule – enough time to find some positive reinforcement.

“I told them I don’t care what the score is,” Brayton said. “We’ll play it out to the end.”

This story was originally published April 2, 2016 at 6:23 PM with the headline "Big 8 baseball leader Santa Rosa tames Modesto JC ."