Coyotes get non-league split
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera’s Valerie Ornelas safely slides into third after an RBI triple helped the Coyotes to a 7-6 victory Tuesday over Clovis North.
After getting a comeback victory over Clovis North, the Madera Coyotes ran into the hot bats of the Clovis East Timberwolves to earn a split of Tri-River Athletic Conference Div. I opponents.
The Coyotes, defending Div. II Valley Champions scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to preserve a 7-6 victory Tuesday over Clovis North. However, Clovis East’s Taja Felder hit three home runs and drove in five runs to lead the Timberwolves to a 12-3 victory Thursday in Clovis.
The Coyotes will try to regroup to play their third straight TRAC opponent Tuesday against the Buchanan-Clovis Bears in Clovis.
Madera 7, Clovis North 6
The Coyotes took the lead four times against Clovis North and it was the final one that counted with two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Felicity Rocha came in relief of starter Kaylee Dawson and threw four innings of five-hit ball. She allowed three runs, but just one was earned.
Taylor Brooks and Valerie Ornelas lead the Coyotes with two hits each. Ornelas also drove in two and Mikayla Ruiz and pinch-runner Kailie Gutierrez scored two runs each.
The Coyotes started the scoring in the top of the first. Brooks led off the inning with a single and stole second. An illegal pitch moved Brooks to second while Ruiz drew a walk.
After Ruiz stole second, Cuevas flew out to right to drive in Brooks, and Ruiz came in to score on a wild pitch to Dawson.
The Broncos took the lead in the third inning with five hits, including two sacrifice flies to take a 3-2 lead.
The Coyotes reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Dawson led off the inning with a walk. Haley Perez sacrificed her to second. Ornelas then lined an opposite-field triple down the right field line to drive in Dawson. Pinch-runner Gutierrez came in to score on a wild pitch for a 4-3 lead.
However, Clovis North tied the game in the fifth inning with a lead-off single, sacrifice and a double.
Madera countered with a run in the fifth to re-take the lead. With one out, Ruiz and Cuevas singled. Dawson singled to left to drive in Ruiz for a 5-4 lead.
The Broncos scored two more runs in the sixth. With one out, Rocha hit a batter. After a pop-up, the Clovis North lead-off batter singled. A passed ball moved the runners to second and third and an error allowed the game-tying and go-ahead run.
Tea Layne led off the sixth by reaching second on a throwing error. Ornelas singled to right to drive in Layne with the tying run.
Rocha hit a grounder to short, but the Clovis North shortstop threw wild to try to forceout pinch-runner Gutierrez at second. Camile DeAnda sacrificed the runners to second and third.
Brooks followed with a single up the middle to drive in Gutierrez with the go-ahead run.
Rocha didn’t have it easy to end the game in the seventh. She got a flyout to center to open the inning. However, Clovis North got back-to-back singles to put the tying run at second.
The next batter was called out for trying to put down a drag bunt for hitting outside the box for the second out. Rocha got a forceout at third to end the game with a one-run victory.
Clovis East 12, Madera 3
Clovis East’s Felder hit a two-run home run in the first inning, a two-run home run in the second and a solo home run in the third to lead the Timberwolves to a rout of the Coyotes.
Madera got two hits each from Cuevas, Perez, Hollee Brown and DeAnda to lead an 11-hit attack. The Coyotes were first to get on the scoreboard with two runs in the top of the first inning.
Brooks led off the inning with a single. She stole second and went to third on a Ruiz groundout. Cuevas followed with an single to drive in Brooks.
Cuevas got herself into scoring position with steals of second and third while scoring on a Perez single.
However, two errors to the Clovis East lead-off batter put a runner in scoring position. Two batters later, Felder launched a two-run scorching line drive over the right-centerfield fence to tie the game.
Then, the floodgates opened in the second for the Timberwolves. They sent 14 batters to the plate while scoring nine runs. They banged out eight hits and drew three walks in the inning.
McKenzie Reinhardt had a big hit with a bases-clearing double down the right field line and Felder followed with a two-run homer to left-center on a 3-0 pitch.
Felder homered to center in the next inning to give the Timberwolves a 12-2 lead in the third inning. Madera came back with a run in the fourth to hold off the mercy rule. Ornelas hit a two-out triple to right center and scored on Brown’s single up the middle.
The Coyotes closed out the game well, but the damage had already been done. They outhit the Timberwolves 11-10 and also left eight batters on, including the bases loaded in the fifth inning.
