Stallions regroup in tough loss
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera South’s Bryan Malagon throws a pitch during an 8-6 loss to Edison on Thursday. Malagon didn’t allow an earned run over the final 5 2/3 innings and retired the final 10 Edison batters in order.
Although the game will go down as a loss for the Madera South Stallions baseball team, head coach Alan Sandoval was proud how his team responded in an 8-6 loss to the Edison-Fresno Tigers at Eddie Chapa Field.
The Stallions jumped out to a 3-0 lead and didn’t hang their heads after Edison scored four runs in the second and four more runs in the fourth. The Stallions scored a run in the sixth and seventh innings and had the potential game-winning run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh.
They battled,” Sandoval said. “I’m so proud of them today. From the Madera game, we took some steps back, but we made some great strides today. We are a ball in the gap away from tying the game. There’s nothing more I can ask for in that situation.”
Madera South starter Ivan Villafan didn’t make it out of the second inning, allowing four earned runs with two walks and five hits. Reliever Bryan Malagon came in and settled down the Edison bats. Although he allowed four runs in the fourth, all unearned, Malagon retired the last 10 batters in order.
“Edison is such a good hitting team,” Sandoval said. “It’s so great to know that I’m going to have Malagon for the next four years. We didn’t make the routine plays today. It’s just one of those days. It’s baseball.”
Brian Monges, Jalen Gray and Seth Goodrich each had two hits for the Stallions and Goodrich drove in two runs.
The Stallions opened the game on a positive note. Monges led off with a single. Anthony Gamiz was walked. A.J. Rocha forced Gamiz at second to put runners at first and third.
Gray followed with a single to right to drive in Monges and an error allowed Rocha to head to third and Gray to advance to second. After a popout, Goodrich singled up the middle to drive in Rocha and Gray for a 3-0 lead.
Edison answered back in the second by sending 10 batters to the plate. After a groundout, Edison got two singles and a walk to load the bases. Three straight singles tied the score and chased Villafan.
Malagon came in and got a sacrifice fly for the second out. After an intentional walk to laod the bases, Malagon got a flyout to end the inning.
Edison sent nine more batters to the plate after starting a two-out, nobody on rally in the fourth. A walk, hit batter and walk loaded the bases. Another error forced in two runs while two more singles drove in two more runs before Malagon got a popout to end the inning.
From there, Malagon retired the Tigers in order with a pair of strikeouts and five flyouts.
Madera South chipped into the lead with a run in the fourth. Goodrich led off the inning with a single to right. Jonathan Uribe followed with another single to right. Goodrich scored from first after an Edison error. Uribe advanced to second on the error.
Uribe ran into an out for the first out. A strikeout and groundout ended the fourth.
Madera South had a chance in the fifth. Gamis was hit by a pitch and Rocha singled him to second. A wild pitch put runners at second and third with nobody out. A strikeout, popout and groundout ended Madera South’s threat.
The Stallions put a run on the scoreboard in the fifth. Uribe led off the inning by reaching on an error. After a flyout, Malagon sacrificed Uribe to second. Monges singled to right and Uribe scored to cut the Tigers’ lead to 8-5.
Madera South put the pressure on the Tigers in the seventh.
Gamiz started the rally with a walk. After a strikeout, Gray singled to right. The ball went by the right fielder and Gamiz came in to score while Gray advanced to third.
Chris Jones reached on an infield single to put runners at first and third. However, the next two Stallions struck out to end the game with the game-winning run at the plate.
