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Pitman tennis wins outright league title
tennis pic2
Turlock High’s Scott Gray chases down a shot in his No. 1 singles match on Tuesday afternoon at the Turlock High tennis courts. - photo by CHHUN SUN / The Journal
Boys Tennis Results

Central California Conference

Pitman 5, Turlock 4

Singles

No. 1 Scott Gray (T) def. Morcos Boutros (P), 7-5, 6-2

No. 2 Michael Lazar (P) def. Alex Wolski (T), 6-0, 3-0 (retired)

No. 3 Michael Davis (P) def. Bryce Brenda (T), 6-2, 6-1

No. 4 Branden Hamby (P) def. Grayson Blakeley (T), 7-6, 6-1

No. 5 Jason Moitoso (P) def. Grant McNulty (T), 6-2, 6-2

No. 6 Heath Rojas (T) def. Beau Powell (P), 6-7 (6-8), 6-1, 6-1

Doubles

No. 1 Luis Velasquez/ Brachton Malek (P) def. Kemi Asgill/Morley Baker (T), 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7-

2)

No. 2 Kyle O’Conner/Brandon Purdy (T) def. Brian Montero/Adrian Leven (P), 6-4, 6-0

No. 3 Aldair Lima/Efrain Ochoa (T) def. Skylar Sexton/Gurtej Samaran (P), 6-4, 6-4

This time, the Pitman High boys tennis team wasn’t going to share.

The Pride proved that on Tuesday afternoon, when the Central California Conference championship was at stake. If they’d lost the match, their consolation prize was a share of the league title — and the Pride didn’t want that.

In a tight battle throughout the afternoon, the Pride escaped with a 5-4 win over crosstown rival Turlock High to finish the league season with a perfect 10-0 record, topping last year’s achievement of sharing the league title with the Bulldogs. The Pride have now won it all six of the last seven years.

“Turlock was much more competitive this time around than last time,” Pitman coach Jeff Hayes said. “It was a well-fought match for Turlock.”

The Pride earned four of the six singles wins on top of snatching one doubles win, just enough to squeeze by the Bulldogs. Pitman’s Michael Lazar, Michael Davis, Branden Hamby and Jason Moitoso all won their matches, as the No. 1 duo of Luis Velasquez and Brachton Malek earned a three-set win to help the Pride to the team win.

For the Turlock singles players, No. 1 Scott Gray, the reigning league MVP, and No. 6 Heath Rojas both captured victories. The duos of Kyle O’Conner and Brandon Purdy and Aldair Lima and Efrain Ochoa finished the afternoon with doubles wins.

The Bulldogs finished the league season with an 8-2 record and will own the league’s No. 2 seed in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division I playoffs.

Before entering the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the CCC, the Pride will face Modesto High at home today in a nonconference showdown. After that, Pitman and Turlock will compete in the league’s singles and doubles tournament next week before the Section tournament starts on May 5.

To contact Chhun Sun, e-mail csun@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2041.