Local Sports

• Local roundup: Salinas baseball earns win - Tue, 11 Mar 2014 22:32:04 PDT
  Justin Flores ripped a career-high five hits Tuesday, driving in three runs as the Salinas baseball team opened the Monterey Bay League Gabilan Division season with an 11-5 win over Monte Vista. Cole Mallett had four hits for the Cowboys while Jon Santos and Josh Olivarria each had three hits.
• Local roundup: Monterey softball tops Harbor - Tue, 11 Mar 2014 07:36:00 PDT
  Daniella Burnam pitched a complete game, allowing only three hits as the Monterey High softball team beat Harbor 6-1 on Monday. Janelle Montiel went 2-for-3 for the Toreadores, while Jessica Sturgill had a triple and Gina Bruno hit a double.
• Local roundup: Win streak ends for Pacific Grove baseball team - Mon, 10 Mar 2014 07:47:18 PDT
  Pacific Grove High School's 39-game winning streak ended Saturday with a 6-4 nonleague loss at Hughson High. The streak stretched back two seasons. Hughson put up three runs in the second inning for a 3-1 lead.
• North Salinas girls win CCS Division I basketball championship - Mon, 10 Mar 2014 07:46:23 PDT
  SAN JOSE — Tears streaming down her face, Monae Hobson wanted to make sure this wasn't a dream. The plaque said "champions." "It's reality," the North Salinas junior guard said. It was time to bounce, embrace and celebrate. "This was our year," Alyssa Springs said. "It was meant to happen.
• Local roundup: MPC loses pitchers' duel - Mon, 10 Mar 2014 07:46:02 PDT
  Monterey Peninsula College starter Louie Carlos pitched into the seventh inning Saturday, giving up three hits and one unearned run as MPC dropped a 2-1 decision to Cabrillo College.
• John Devine: Split public, private schools into separate CCS divisions - Mon, 10 Mar 2014 07:44:57 PDT
  Ten of the 12 teams in the Central Coast Section boys basketball divisional finals were private schools. A coincidence? Well, eight of the 12 teams in the girls finals were private schools. However, that is misleading because Division I did not have any private schools.
• Local roundup: Monterey County athletes compete in state wrestling meet - Mon, 10 Mar 2014 07:44:36 PDT
  Palma's Martin Martinez recorded two pins before getting eliminated, along with Monterey County's two other competitors, at the CIF State Boys Wrestling Championships in Bakersfield on Friday. Martinez, wrestling at 160 pounds, lost to Freddie Garcia of Santiago-Corona in his opening match.
• Local roundup: North County softball edges Soledad - Fri, 7 Mar 2014 08:33:39 PST
  After falling behind by five runs, the North County softball team rallied for a 7-6 win over Soledad on Thursday. The Aztecs jumped out to a 5-0 lead in front of starter Monique Rodriguez, who struck out eight in 61/3 innings.
• North Salinas girls basketball beats Palo Alto to move to CCS final - Thu, 6 Mar 2014 08:09:27 PST
  PALO ALTO — Darren Jackson will scream and stomp, pace and pout, give you a look of dismay with a shot of encouragement. No coach wears his emotions more on his sleeve than Jackson — with a wink. "We feed off his energy," North Salinas sophomore point guard Jordyn Enos said.
• Local roundup: Soledad boys soccer loses in CCS semifinals - Thu, 6 Mar 2014 07:46:58 PST
  The first loss of the season came at the wrong time for the Soledad High boys soccer team. The No. 2 Aztecs fell 2-1 in an overtime heartbreaker to host No. 3 Burlingame in the Central Coast Section Division III semifinals to end their season on Wednesday.
• Title hopes of Seaside and Palma boys basketball teams end in semifinals - Wed, 5 Mar 2014 13:30:34 PST
  ATHERTON - That anticipated matchup is on hold indefinitely. Menlo School has become the site where boys basketball dreams fade for Palma and Seaside as both Monterey County teams fell in the Central Coast Section Division IV semifinals Tuesday night.
• John Devine: Is this 2-hour soccer roadtrip really necessary? - Tue, 4 Mar 2014 07:32:19 PST
  I'm having a hard time understanding why Soledad, the No. 2 seed in the Central Coast Section Division III boys soccer playoffs, has to play in the semifinals at Burlingame on Wednesday night. That's Burlingame, about a two-hour drive from Soledad.
• Local roundup: CSUMB men's golf team off to fast start - Tue, 4 Mar 2014 07:30:42 PST
  CSU Monterey Bay men's golf team finished the first round of the St. Edward's Invitational in Austin, Texas, tied for first. The Otters posted an 8-over-par 296 on Monday at the Grey Rock Golf Club to tie with No. 1 Barry (Fla.).
• Jim Tunney: Coming through in the clutch - Mon, 3 Mar 2014 11:31:00 PST
  During the XXII Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, we heard one of the many NBC announcers invoke the term "clutch performances," while at the same time chiding some of the Olympic athletes for failure to deliver on their high expectations.
• County Clipboard: Stuewe sets records at Boston - Mon, 3 Mar 2014 11:30:26 PST
  Conner Stuewe broke the Patriot League Conference and meet record in the 200-yard backstroke for Boston University. The junior was clocked in 1:43.40. Stuewe also set a school record in the 100 back (48.12) and the 500 free (4:27.90) and swam on two school record relay teams.