Madera Babe Ruth 13s fizzle in semis
Madera’s Kristian Gomez hits a first inning triple during the Madera Babe Ruth 13-year-old All-Star team’s loss to Tulare in the state championship semifinals Monday. (Tyler Takeda)
After losing its first game of the Babe Ruth State Championships at Madera South High School on Friday, the Madera Babe Ruth 13-under All-Star team won three straight games heading into a semifinal game.
Unfortunately, after three straight games of scoring 12 or more runs, the Madera Babe Ruth All-Stars were silenced Monday in an 11-0 loss to Tulare and were eliminated from the tournament.
“It just wasn’t our day,” manager Frank Borges said. “This is the furthest the 13s have advanced since 2012 and we’re proud of how the boys came together.”
Madera lost its first game to Lodi, 5-3 on Friday. On Saturday, Madera defeated Buchanan 12-0. The All-Stars followed that up with a 15-9 victory Sunday morning against Hanford.
On Sunday night, Madera scored five runs to take the early lead against KerWest (a combination team from Kerman and Fowler). KerWest scored nine runs to claim the lead. Madera then scored 10 runs in the next inning for a 15-9 victory to send them to Monday’s semifinal.
Tulare’s pitching stymied Madera’s batters. Although Gilbert Retiz didn’t strike out a batter, he had Madera tied up in knots. He allowed just one hit over five innings and threw just 39 pitches, including five in the fourth and six in the third and fifth innings.
Retiz also helped himself at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a double, two runs and an RBI.
However, the biggest problem for Madera were the walks — nine of them to be exact. To go along with four hit batters, three wild pitches and six errors, Tulare needed just four hits to accumulate 11 runs.
Madera’s Kristian Gomez had two hits in the game, including a two-out triple in the first. However, he was called out after his second hit for using an illegal bat.
Starting pitcher Caleb Cardoso allowed seven runs, although two were earned, in 2 2/3 innings. He struck out four, but walked five, hit two batters and threw three wild pitches.
Jordan Flowers walked three of the four batters he faced and allowed an earned run. Tanner Sagouspe allowed on hit, walked one, but hit two batters in 1 1/3 innings.
Tulare scored first on a hit batter, single, error and wild pitch for a 1-0 lead in the second.
Tulare sent 12 batters to the plate in a seven run third inning that was accomplished on just one hit. Madera walked seven batters in the inning and committed three errors.
Tulare put the game away with three more runs in the fourth on a hit batter, error, run scoring double, a catcher’s interference, a walk to force in a run and a hit batter to force in another run.
Orcutt made its way through the winner’s bracket for Tuesday’s state championship game and faced Tulare at Madera South’s Eddie Chapa Field.
