Coyotes walk to non-conference win
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Madera’s Christian Chavira slides in safely to score the Coyotes’ go-ahead run during a 25-7 win over Central Valley Christian.
Facing a team that advanced to the Div. V Valley Championship game last year, the Madera Coyotes baseball team was hoping for a more competitive match-up against the Central Valley Christian-Visalia Cavaliers in a non-conference game in Mel Parker Field.
Against a team with just one senior and two returning starters from last year’s team, the Coyotes recorded their easiest win of the season Friday, taking advantage of 13 walks and six CVC errors for a 25-7 victory.
The Coyotes banged out 15 hits in the game and scored 21 unanswered runs after falling behind 5-0 after 1 1/2 innings.
Nine different Coyotes had hits, led by three from Brian Hefner. He also scored three runs and drove in three with a pair of doubles. Tony Noriega had two hits with a double and drove in four runs. Kristian Gomez had three hits with a double, three runs scored and five RBIs. Twelve different Coyotes scored a run.
Tommy Molina picked up the win on the mound. He struck out three in 2 1/3 innings coming in relief of starter Nikayha Castro, who tossed 1 2/3 innings and allowed five runs.
A walk and three straight singles opened the game for the Cavaliers. A single, groundout, another single and a wild pitch scored the first four runs for CVC.
In the second, Castro hit the lead off batter. A wild pitch, a single and an error allowed another run to score. Molina came in relief and struck out the next batter.
Madera bounced back with eight runs in the second, sending 13 batters to the plate. Noriega led off the inning with a double. After a walk to Gomez, Caleb Galindo loaded the bases with a single. Jerry Hernandez drew a four-pitch walk to drive in Noriega.
Christian Chavira followed with a single over the left fielder’s head to drive in Gomez and keep the bases loaded. Galindo scored on a wild pitch and Shane Purcell walked to load the bases.
Hefner doubled over the right fielder’s head to drive in Hernandez and Chavira to give Madera a 6-5 lead. Isaac Chavira grounded out to drive in Purcell. Molina hit a fly ball to center that was dropped for an error while Hefner scored.
After Noriega grounded out, Gomez singled in Molina for an 8-5 lead.
Madera kept the pressure up in the third with five runs on two hits, the key hitwas a bases clearing double from Gomez. Three Coyotes reached base on an error and Galindo drove in another run to open a 13-5 lead.
In the fourth, Isaac Chavira hit a two-run triple and Hernandez drove in two with a single.
Madera added three more runs in the fifth. Hefner reached on an error and scored on a passed ball. Cameron Hernandez singled and Mathew Ylarregui was hit by a pitch. Both runners advanced on a passed ball and Noriega singled both runners in with a single for a 21-5 lead.
CVC scored a pair of runs in the sixth on a hit batter, a pair of walks and a throwing error.
The Coyotes closed the scoring with four more runs in the sixth. Aaron Benevidez and Christian Chavira walked. After a strikeout, Hefner doubled in Benevidez. After Hernandez was hit by a pitch, Molina and Norega drew bases loaded walks. Gomez singled in Hernandez for the 25th run of the game.
