Two out rally leads APM to Madera city title
Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune Madera National Little League champions American Pacific Mortgage celebrates after defeating Madera American champion Mosqueda Farms, 10-8, for the City Championship.
For most of the AAA City Championship game, Madera American champion Mosqueda Farms and Madera National Champion American Pacific Mortgage were locked in a classic duel.
There were six lead changes before APM scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on a two-out rally to secure a 10-8 victory Saturday to win the Kenny Taylor AAA City Championship trophy.
Michael Lucero picked up the win on the mound. He tossed 1 2/3 innings of no-hit ball. He allowed a run and struck out five batters.
Cyrus Qualls got APM off to a good start with three innings pitched. He allowed on run on one hit with six strikeouts. Three APM pitchers limited Mosqueda to just three hits.
Matthew Gil suffered the loss in two innings of work for Mosqueda Farms. He came in relief of starter Ezekeel Reyes, who tossed 2 2/3 innings of one-hit ball. He allowed two runs, both unearned and struck out four batters.
Ethan Tate and Qualls led APM with two hits each and Qualls hit a double and drove in three runs. Joban Hans led off the game for Mosqueda Farms with a walk. He came all the way around the bases on a throwing error on a throw back to the pitcher.
APM battled back in the bottom of the first. Tate led off with a single and advanced to third on wild pitches. Aiden Martinez drew a walk. A throwing error allowed both Tate and Martinez to score for a 2-1 lead.
Both teams settled down with scoreless second and third innings. Mosqueda Farms scored three runs in the fourth inning. Dallas Rodriguez started the rally with a walk. Owen Walters also walked and Gil drove both runners in with a double to the left-centerfield fence.
Gil stole third and scored on an error for a 4-2 lead.
APM started a two-out, nobody-on rally to reclaim the lead. Teevan Banks started the rally with a walk, followed by another from Hurley Ogan.
Qualls lined a double to center to drive in Banks and Ogan. After a walk to Kevin Croisant, Luke Ervin singled to left and Qualls came in to score for a 5-4 lead.
Mosqueda Farms came right back. The bottom two batters in Mosqueda’s lineup, Ameer Cobian and Joshua Lang drew walks. A groundout moved them to second and third. Reyes singled up the middle to score Cobian and Lang.
Ryes went to second on a wild pitch. After Rodriguez walked, Reyes stole third and sored on an error for a 7-5 Mosqueda Farms lead.
APM trailed with two outs and nobody on in the fifth. Tate started the winning rally with a single to center. Lucero drew a walk and a wild pitch to Martinez drove in Tate. An error allowed Lucero to score. Banks and Hogan drew walks. Martinez came in on a wild pitch. Qualls singled home Banks and Croisant singled home Ogan for a five-run inning to take a 10-7 lead heading into the sixth.
Lucero struck out the first batter, but Deegan Shandor drew a walk. He advanced to third on wild pitches and stole home for a run. Lucero settled down and struck out the final two batters he faced. Madera National played Tuesday against Sunnyside-Lone Star Little League to open the District 10 Tournament of Champions. The winner of that game hosts Madera American tonight.
