Coyotes open season with win
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune Madera’s Kaylee Dawson pitches the Coyotes to a 2-0 victory Thursday over Clovis West in the season opener for both teams.
Madera Coyotes softball ace Kaylee Dawson tossed a three-hit shutout and the offense did just enough for a 2-0 victory in the season opener at Zimmerman Field.
Dawson didn’t allow more than one hit in an inning and retired the side in four of the seven innings to keep the Clovis West Golden Eagles off the scoreboard Thursday.
“I thought she hit her spots, for the most part, head coach Judy Shaubach said. “She made pitches when she had to. We were pretty steady on defense behind her.”
Although the Coyotes’ offense was also held to three hits, they took advantage of three walks in the third inning by Clovis West starter Taylor Boelle.
Taylor Books singled in a run and scored a run and Hollee Brown and Dawson each had hits for the Coyotes. Madera left six runners on base.
“It was a good team win,” Shaubach said. “We left some people on base. We have to work on our situational hitting and know who we have on the bases. For our speed and talent on the bases, we have to put the ball in play to put pressure on the bases.”
“We had really good team chemistry,” Shaubach continued. “They stayed in the game well. We’ll continue to get better. Everything we saw are things we can get better at.”
Neveah Montes led off the third inning with a walk and rain started to fall. Joslynn Davis sacrificed Montes to second. Montes came in to score on a Brooks single off a diving second baseman.
After Brooks stole second, DeAnda and Tayah Hernandez drew walks to load the bases.
Valerie Ornelas hit a grounder to second to force out Hernandez, but Brooks came in to score an insurance run for the Coyotes.
Meanwhile, Dawson retired the first nine Clovis West batters in order. She ran into trouble in the fourth, but Brooks threw out a Clovis West runner trying for third to end the inning.
From there, Dawson allowed two more baserunners, but neither got past second base.
The Coyotes’ Camile DeAnda got into scoring position in the fifth with a fielder’s choice and a stolen base, but was stranded.
Hollee Brown, who helped Dawson with a diving catch in the fifth inning, singled with one out in the sixth. After a strikeout, Dawson singled to center, but the next batter lined out to end the inning.
Dawson got a groundout to DeAnda at short, a line drive back to her and a lineout to DeAnda to end the seventh and secure a 2-0 victory.
