Camacho Tire scores late for Babe Ruth title
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Camacho Tire celebrates its Madera Babe Ruth Championship after a 12-5 victory over G&J Truck Sales on Friday in Mel Parker Field.
Madera Babe Ruth top seed Camacho Tire scored all of its runs in the final four innings for a 12-5 victory over No. 2 seed G&J Truck Sales at Mel Parker Field.
Camacho Tire manager Rick Castro used the same strategy he used the last time he won a Babe Ruth Championship.
The last time Castro won the Babe Ruth title, Castro used his son Nikayha in the championship game. Friday, Castro used his son, Noah, in the championship game.
“Noah did well,” Rick said. “He got himself in trouble, but he settled down and got us out of it.”
Castro picked up the win in five innings of work. He allowed five hits and five runs, all earned. He walked five, but struck out four. Ivan Castaneda held G&J to just one hit over the final two innings. He struck out four and walked three.
Camacho Tire banged out nine hits against five different G&J pitchers, including losing pitcher Aiden Lechuga, who allowed seven runs, three earned, in 3 1/3 innings. G&J Truck Sales pitchers walked eight batters and allowed nine hits while the defense committed six errors.
Castro was 2-for-2 at the plate with a double and two RBI’s. Jojo Mosqueda scored three runs and drove in three. Jorge Gutierrez drove in a pair of runs and Trevor Teran scored two runs.
Camacho Tire scored six runs in the fourth inning, but G&J Truck Sales came back with four runs in the top of the fourth. However, Camacho Tire answered with three runs in the fifth and another in the sixth.
“It was huge,” Castro said in getting the answer-back inning. “The game yesterday, we scored seven in the first and that was it. We were lucky we held on. Today, we had energy the full seven innings. It shows a lot of character for them.
They got into a huddle and came up with their own gameplan and it worked. The energy was huge. They didn’t let down once. That comeback inning slowed their momentum, and they weren’t able to regain it.”
G&J got the scoring started in the third. Lechuga drew a one-out walk. After a strikeout and a walk, Gilbert Moisa doubled home Lechuga for the early lead.
Camacho responded in the third. Ivan Castaneda singled and Mosqueda reached on an error. Two batters later, Elijah Martinez lined out to left. However, the throw to try to double-up Castaneda went wide and Castaneda scored. Mosqueda scored on an opposite field bloop double from Castro.
Camacho seemed to put the game away in the bottom of the fourth. They sent 11 batters to the plate, scored six runs (Teran, Castaneda, Mosqueda, Gutierrez, Hanoor Hans and Jeremiah Montes), on three hits (a single from Castro and two singles from Hans) and three walks with a hit batter.
Although trailing 8-1, G&J showed some fight in the fifth. Nate Ruiz was hit by a pitch, but Camacho recorded a double play two batters later.
Malachi Watson drew a walk and Moisa singled home Ruiz. Tyler Tuckness doubled to drive in Watson and Moisa and cut Camacho’s lead to 8-5.
Camacho responded with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. Nathan Gray walked and Teran singled. After a flyout, Mosqueda singled to drive in pinch runner Alexander Gonzalez while an error allowed Teran to score and Mosqueda advanced to third. Gutierrez grounded out, but Mosqueda scored for an 11-5 lead.
Camacho added another run in the sixth on three walks and a hit batter for the 12-5 victory.
