Coyotes finish 3-1 in Visalia tourney
Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune
Madera catcher Valerie Orlenals places the tag on Stockdale’s Cheynne Hornbuckle in the first inning to keep the game scoreless. Stockdale won the game in the eighth inning in Visalia.
VISALIA — The Madera Coyotes softball team suffered one blemish over the weekend at the Redwood Tournament, however that blemish kept the Coyotes from defending its tournament championship.
The Coyotes, the defending back-to-back Div. II Valley Champions, suffered a 1-0, eight-inning loss Friday to Div. I Stockdale-Bakersfield without No. 3 hitter Aaliyah Cuevas and starting catcher Haley Perez, who had a church event.
Madera came from behind to defeat host Redwood-Visalia in its second game Friday and then defeated Mt. Whitney-Visalia on Saturday.
The Coyotes opened the tournament with a 9-3 victory over Frontier-Bakersfield on Thursday.
Kaylee Dawson picked up the victory in the circle, pitching a complete game. She allowed four hits and struck out seven.
Cuevas led the 12-hit attack with three hits and two doubles with an RBI. Taylor Books, Mikayla Ruiz and Perez each had two hits. Perez added a double and Valerie Ornelas hit a triple. Ruiz also drove in three runs from the No. 2 spot in the line-up and Brooks scored two runs.
Against Stockdale, the Coyotes faced the best pitcher they have seen. Aymee Broome scattered four hits and struck out five Coyotes.
However, Dawson kept the Coyotes in the game. She allowed seven hits and didn’t strike out a batter, but also didn’t allow a run in the first seven innings.
That was because centerfielder Brooks and rightfielder Ruiz both threw out runners at the plate. Brooks led the Coyotes with two hits and gave the Coyotes their best chance to score in the first inning. She singled to lead off the game and went to second on an error. She went to third on a groundout, but the next batter struck out and the clean-up batter grounded out to end the threat.
The Mustangs scored their only run in the eighth under the international tiebreaker without an out recorded.
The Coyotes fell into an early hole against Redwood after freshman leftfielder Josslynn Davis, making her first varsity start misplayed a line drive for a double and two runs came around to score.
However, Davis redeemed herself on the offensive side two innings later. Kaylee Dawson led off the fourth with a single up the middle. After a wild pitch, Valerie Ornelas hit a ground-rule double off the left field fence to score pinch-runner Kailie Gutierrez.
Pinch-runner Brooke Gill moved to third on a groundout by Tea Layne. Camile DeAnda was hit by a pitch. After a strikeout, Sofia Perez drew a walk to load the single.
Davis fought off a 2-2 pitch with a grounder to the left of third. Davis beat the throw of the diving third baseman to allow Gill to score the game-tying run.
The Coyotes took the lead in the fifth inning with singles by Ruiz, Dawson, Layne and DeAnda, but it was a full-count walk from heaven Ramirez to score the go-ahead run.
Felicity Rocha picked up the win in the circle, allowing two unearned runs and five hits over seven innings.
Dawson led the Coyotes’ 10-hit attack with three hits.
On Saturday, the Coyotes used a 12-hit attack for a 9-3 victory over Mt. Whitney.
After falling behind 1-0 in the second, the Coyotes scored nine of the game’s final 11 runs for the win.
Ruiz led the Coyotes with three hits and scored two runs. Brooks and Miranda Solis each had two hits. Solis also had two RBIs. Cuevas and Rocha scored a pair of runs.
Selma 5, Madera South 1 FRESNO — The Selma Bears scored four runs in the fourth and Selma pitcher Richie Salinas scattered six hits over six innings with eight strikeouts for a 5-1 victory over the Madera South Stallions baseball team Saturday at Fresno City College’s Euless Park.
“Selma has an experienced team,” Madera South head coach Bobby Waits said. “That’s probably the most velocity we’ve seen this season. We had a hard time not chasing the high fastball. We were able to get guys on base, but unable to get the timely hit. My hat to Selma, they got guys on base and got those big hits.”
Stallions starter Caleb Bertoncini allowed all five runs on eight hits over 3 1/3 innings.
“Caleb is only a junior and will be a great pitcher for us,” Waits said. “He had trouble controlling his curveball so that allowed them to sit fastball. It was one of those nights he wasn’t on. We elevated the ball and they made us pay.”
Manny Nunez tossed the final 3 2/3 innings of scoreless ball. He allowed two hits and struck out three.
Jeremy Flores and Josh Conigliaro each led the Stallions with two hits each.
The Bears scored a run in the top of the first inning, but the Stallions answered.
Angelo Feliu was hit by a pitch with one out. Two batters later, Oscar Reyes blooped a ball down the right field line. The Selma rightfielder made a dive and missed the ball. Feliu motored around the bases to score the game-tying run and Reyes slid into third with a triple.
The Bears put together two singles and three doubles in the fourth to send nine batters to the plate and score four runs for a 5-1 lead, good enough for the victory.
El Capitan 5, Madera South 0 El Capitan-Merced pitcher Cassie Gasper, a CSU Monterey Bay recruit, handcuffed the Stallions to only four hits and struck out 14 batters in a 5-0 victory in Madera South’s home opener.
Gasper struck out 10 of 11 batters from the second through the fourth innings.
The Gauchos scored three runs in the third and two more in the fourth off freshman pitcher Taylor Valerio.
However, Solorio seemed to settle in and retired the final seven batters in order.
Alyssa Tirado led the Stallions with two hits. Jessie Maciel and Valerio also recorded hits for the Stallions.
