Coyotes stumble in CMAC loss
Benny Munoz/The Madera Tribune Madera’s Taylor Brooks slides by the tag of Edison catcher Kristen Arias during a the third inning of a 13-8 loss Tuesday.
The Madera Coyotes softball team is establishing a trend to which head coach Judy Shaubach is unaccustomed.
In a loss last week to the Bullard-Fresno Knights, the Coyotes committed 10 errors that led to seven unearned runs. On Tuesday at Zimmerman Field, the Coyotes committed eight more errors that led to eight unearned runs.
Shaubach, a stickler for fundamentals and playing with “Coyote D,” hopes her team can rebound heading into the Div. II playoffs next week after Friday’s Senior Night game against Madera South.
Despite the loss, the Coyotes still managed to battle back. They trailed 5-0, but scored four runs to cut the lead to one. After Edison scored in the top of the sixth and seventh, the Coyotes scored runs in the bottom of the innings, but it wasn’t enough in a 13-8 loss.
The 13 runs were the most Madera has allowed all year and the eight runs Madera scored were the most scored in a losing effort. It also would have been enough to win every Madera game, but one.
The Coyotes also took advantage of four Edison errors, but those led to just two unearned runs.
Kaylee Dawson allowed nine runs, but just two were earned over 5 2/3 innings with two strikeouts. Tea Layne led the Coyotes’ offense with three hits and was one of two players to score two runs (Mikayla Ruiz). Valerie Ornelas and Dawson each had two hits and two RBIs.
An error to Edison’s lead off batter led to a three-run home run three batters later. The Tigers added two more runs in the second after two more errors.
The Coyotes came back in the bottom o the second. Ornelas led off with a single to right-center. After a force out, Ruiz hit a grounder to third, but a throw to try to forceout Hollee Brown at second went into right field. Brown came in to score and Ruiz advanced to third and scored on Dawson’s single to left.
Madera scored two more runs in the third. Taylor Brooks led off the inning by reaching on an error. Layne singled down the left field line. Both runners stole a base. After a strikeout, Ornelas grounded out to drive in Brooks and Brown reached on an infield single to drive in Layne and cut Edison’s lead to one.
However, Edison added two more runs in the fourth after an error to the lead-off batter. A single and fielder’s choice put runners at first and second. A groundout moved the runners over and back-to-back singles opened a 7-4 lead.
The Tigers got to relief pitcher Felicity Rocha in the sixth with a single and walk. A double, sacrifice fly and single drove in three runs and another error allowed the Tigers to open an 11-4 lead.
Madera had an opportunity to take the lead in the fifth with Layne, who reached on a bunt single, at third and pinch-runner Brooke Gill at first, but a questionable called third strike ended the inning. Madera scored a run in the sixth on a bunt single by Ruiz. She advanced to third on an error and scored on Haley Perez’s groundout.
The Tigers padded their lead in the seventh with two runs on a single, triple and another single for a 13-5 lead.
Madera battled back with a Layne walk and an Aaliyah Cuevas single to open the seventh. Makenzie Soper, who hit the three-run homer in the first, came in relief and allowed a single to Ornelas to drive in Layne.
After a strikeout, a Ruiz groundout drove in Cuevas. Dawson kept the rally going with a double to left-center to drive in pinch-runner Gill, but a groundout ended the game with a 13-8 loss.
