Coyotes walk off to second

Benny Munoz/the Madera Tribune

Madera’s Kailea Ricks (dark shirt) and Brilynn Santiago (11), celebrates wtih Destinee Avila, middle, after she scored the game-winning run in Friday’s 5-4 extra inning victory over the Sanger Apaches.

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With second place in the County/Metro Athletic Conference on the line, the Madera Coyotes softball team walked off the Sanger Apaches to close out the regular season.

The Coyotes fell behind 3-0 after the first inning, but got a game-tying home run from Brianah Hamilton and Destinee Avila scored in the bottom of the eighth inning on a wild pitch for a 5-4 victory Friday at Zimmerman Field in Madera Coyotes Softball Stadium.

“That’s a huge mental lift for this team,” head coach Judy Shaubach said. “We just put the first inning behind us. The thing I’m proud that our bunters came around to the idea to do things we need to do to win. Sadie (Gonzalez) really stepped up today and listened. I kept asking to bunt the ball and not hit it to the pitcher and Sadie came up in a big way. She listened and was focused. They couldn’t stop our bunting. We tried to get our other bunters to see that success. When we create chaos, its tough to play defense against fast girls.”