Only one left in bat and ball playoffs
Courtesy of Mark Davis Madera catcher Valerie Ornelas places the tag on Stockdale’s Cheyenne Hornbuckle in the first inning of Friday’s playoff loss to the Mustangs.
Heading into the quarterfinal round of the Central Section baseball and softball playoffs, Madera, Madera South and Liberty all advanced.
However, just one of the six teams advanced into the semifinals with the Liberty Hawks baseball team recording a home victory over Rosamond and faced top seed Minarets on Tuesday.
The third-seeded Coyotes baseball team lost an eight-inning affair with County/Metro Athletic Conference rival Sanger, the No. 6 seed in the Div. II playoffs. Meanwhile, in Bakersfield, the fifth-seeded Coyotes softball team lost, 3-1, to the fourth-seeded Stockdale-Bakersfield Mustangs in Div. I.
The 14th-seeded Madera South baseball team, who as the final seed, upset No. 3 seed Selma in its first game, lost to No. 6 seed Immanuel-Reedley in the Div. III playoffs. The seventh-seeded softball team struck out 17 times and had just two hits in a loss to second seeded Chowchilla in the Div. IV playoffs.
Liberty’s baseball team held serve as the No. 4 seed with an 8-3 victory over No. 5 seed Rosamond to advance to the second week. However, the softball team, seeded ninth lost, 10-2, to top seed Dinuba in Div. III.
Madera Coyotes
The Coyotes softball team played its most complete game of the season in the first round of the Div. I playoffs.
Head coach Judy Shaubach hoped that would carry over in a quarterfinal match-up with the Stockdale Mustangs.
However, two unearned runs led to Madera’s undoing despite taking the lead at the beginning of the game.
The top four batters in the line-up each had hits, but they were the only ones. Taylor Books and Tayah Hernandez had two hits apiece and Ornelas drove in the only run of the game for the Coyotes.
Kaylee Dawson was the tough luck pitcher. She allowed six hits and struck out one, but allowed three runs, one earned, in the loss.
Brooks led off the game with a single up the middle, went to second on a Hernandez single and scored on Ornelas’ double to left-centerfield. The pair were left stranded after two groundouts back to the pitcher.
Stockale scored with a two-out rally in the first after a single, fielder’s choice walk and single up the middle. Brooks kept the game tied by throwing out a runner at the plate to end the inning tied at one.
In the third, Stockdale’s lead off batter reached on an error, went to second on a sacrifice and scored three batters later on a sacrifice fly. The Mustangs added another run in the fourth. Again, the lead off batter reached on an error. A sacrifice moved her into scoring position and a double scored her for an insurance run.
The Coyotes had a chance to tie the game in the sixth when Brooks and Hernandez singled to put runners at second and third with one out. However, the next two batters were retired to end the Coyotes’ hopes to advance. Madera South Stallions
The Madera South baseball team’s Cinderella run ended in the quarterfinals.
After picking up an upset victory in the first round, the Stallions socred a run in the top of the sixth to take a lead into the bottom of the inning.
However, one big hit sent Immanuel into the quarterfinals. Starting pitcher Caleb Bertoncini allowed back-to-back singles to open the sixth. The No. 3 batter launched a three-run home run over the centerfield fence for a 3-1 lead.
Bertoncini retired the side to finish the game. However, the Stallions weren’t able to battle back in the top of the second.
Madera South took the first lead with a run in the sixth. Jalen Gray hit a one-out double to deep center. He went to third on a bunt from A.J. Rocha and scored on Alonzo Tovar’s single to left.
Trailing by two runs in the seventh, the Stallions put the pressure on Immanuel. Ramon Uribe led off the inning with a single to left. Jeremy Flores was hit by a pitch, but Peyton Kragie forced Uribe at third.
After a flyout, Carlos Gonzales singled to right to drive in Flores and kragie advanced to third.
With the tying run 90 feet away, Gray hit a ball up the middle, but the Immanuel shortstop was there and forced Gonzales at second to end the game.
It seemed the Stallions softball team didn’t really have a chance against Chowchilla.
Tribe pitcher Kelsey Volkmar did the damage at the plate and in the circle. She held the Stallions to just two hits — both from Erica Valdez. She struck out 17 and allowed just four baserunners.
Madera South had one chance to score when Savaanah Garcia reached on an error and advanced to third. She tried to score ona groundout, but was tagged out.
A.J. Martinez allowed seven runs, but just three were earned thanks to four Stallions errors.
The Tribe scored a run in the third, two in the fourth, two more in the fifth and closed the scoring with a two-run home run in the sixth for the 7-0 victory.
