Coyotes drop a pair in tournament
Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune
With first baseman Kyalynn Powell charging in, Madera pitcher Alexis Galvan makes a lunging catch on a bunt during the second inning of Saturday’s loss to the Kingsburg Vikings.
FRESNO — After getting a good team win against Atwater two days earlier, the Madera Coyotes softball team dropped a pair at Clovis West High School in the Central Tournament over the weekend.
The Coyotes faced off with defending Div. I Central Section champions, Clovis North, in the first game on Saturday a dropped a 10-0 decision. Madera followed that with a 6-3 loss to Kingsburg.
“We need to improve our softball IQ,”head coach Judy Shaubach said. “We need to know what is going on in the field and how to play that. We didn’t do that today.”
Although the Coyotes suffered a run-rule loss to the Broncos, there were some bright spots.
Kailea Ricks and Brianah Hamilton each hit doubles out of Madera’s four hits.
Alexis Galvan allowed four runs in the first inning, including a three-run homer to the Broncos’ No. 6 batter. However, she retired 11 of the next 12 batters to keep the Coyotes in the game.
Madera had a chance to cut into the lead in the first inning when Eliza Nunez reached on an error and Ricks doubled. However, the next two batters were retired.
From there, Madera had just four baserunners the rest of the game with singles from Kaylynn Powell and Sadie Gonzalez and Nunez reached on another error.
Hamilton hit a two-out double in the sixth, but the next two batters were retired.
The Broncos chased Galvan with three runs in the fifth and tacked on three more runs in the sixth for the win.
Madera came back and took the early lead against the Kingsburg Vikings, but a six-run fourth led to a second straight loss.
Galvan suffered the loss, allowing four earned runs in four innings with five strikeouts.
Powell and Erika Perez each had two hits with a double and Ricks also had two hits.
Ricks led off the game with a single to right. Nunez sacrificed her to second, and a missed catch allowed Ricks to score all the way from first.
Powell followed with a double to right-center and advanced to third on a flyout, but a strikeout ended the threat.
Madera added another run in the top of the fourth when Powell singled up the middle. Hamilton laid down a bunt, but an errant throw allowed pinch-runner Meah Avila to advance to third and Hamilton to head to second.
Perez reached on a bunt single and Avila scored. After Perez stole second, the next two batters were retired for a 2-0 lead.
Galvan started off the fourth inning with a strikeout. However, a single, a hit batter and another single, all on 0-2 pitches, loaded the bases for the Kingsburg No. 7 hitter. Two pitches later, Kingsburg took a 4-2 lead with a grand slam over the centerfield fence.
The Vikings continued the rally with a single to right. A throwing error on a bunt put runners at second and third after a strikeout. The next batter hit a grounder to Galvan, who threw to Nunez at the plate for the second out.
However, a double steal and a double drove in two more runs for a 6-2 lead.
Relief pitcher Powell retired six of the next seven batters to keep the Vikings from adding to their lead.
Hamilton started a nobody on, two-out rally with a single up the middle in the sixth. Perez doubled to left-center to drive in Hamilton, but Perez was left stranded after a groundout.
The Coyotes made some noise in the seventh. With one out, Nastasha Griffin to the right-center gap. After a strikeout, Ricks singled to left to put runners at the corner, but the next batter grounded out on the next pitch to end the game.
Madera continues non-conference play at Buchanan-Clovis on Tuesday. They host Chowchilla at 5:30 Wednesday in a make-up game and host Clovis North on Thursday at 3:30 p.m.
