Foster and Parker advances in TOC

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune

Foster and Parker’s Monte Moore throws a pitch during Tuesday’s District 10 Tournament of Championship game against Morgan’s Garage. Moore picked up a three-inning save in the 7-5 win. He allowed an unearned run on two hits with five strikeouts.

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In a span of three days, Foster and Parker Insurance, the Madera National Little League champion and Morgan’s Garage, the Madera American Little League champion, battled in two thrillers, this time to advance in the District 10 Tournament of Champions tournament.

On Saturday, the two teams battled in an extra inning thriller with Foster and Parker taking a 4-3, seven-inning victory in the Madera Little League City Championship game.

Early, it looked like Foster and Parker was going to cruise to the victory Tuesday, but Morgan’s battled back to cut the lead to one, twice, before Foster and Parker held on for a 7-5 victory at Madera National Little League.

Foster and Parker played the Selma Little League champion Thursday for a chance to play in Saturday’s Tournament of Champions championship game at Madera National.

Foster and Parker scored four runs in the first inning, but Morgan’s scored three runs in the third. Foster and Parker added a run in the fourth, but Morgan’s matched it in the bottom. Foster and Parker added two insurance runs in the sixth, and Morgan’s only scored a run for the final score.

The combination of Robert Valdez and Monte Moore pitched Foster and Parker to the win. Valdez got the win. He allowed four runs, three earned, on three hits over three innings. He walked five and struck out two. Moore tossed the final three innings for the save. He allowed an unearned run on two hits with five strikeouts and one walk.

Jayden Morales suffered the loss for Morgan’s. He allowed four runs on three hits with a walk in the first inning. Nathan Gonzalez closed out the final five innings by allowing three runs, all unearned, on three hits with seven strikeouts and three walks.

Justin Ornelas was 2-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI for Foster and Parker. Adrian Estrada was 2-for-3 with three RBIs, a run scored and a double.

Anthony Machuca was the only Morgan’s Garage hitter with a multi-hit game. He was 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBIs. Eli Vela hit a double and scored two runs.

Foster and Parker got the game started with four runs in the first inning. With one out, Valdez reached second on a throwing error. After a passed ball moved Valdez to third, Moore drew a full-count walk, and stole second.

Justin Ornelas singled off Morales’ glove to drive in Valdez with Moore advancing to third. Ornelas advanced to second on a wild pitch.

Estrada hit a grounder up the middle that he hustled for a double while Moore and Ornelas scored for a 3-0 lead. Parker Davidson singled up the middle to drive in Estrada, and Davidson took second on the throw home. However, Davidson was later tagged out trying to score on a wild pitch.

Gonzalez came in for Morgan’s and retired six of the next seven batters to keep his team in the game.

Valdez faced traffic all game long. He got out of a bases loaded jam he created with three straight walks in the second. However, Morgan’s struck for three in the third.

With one out, Morales was hit by a pitch. Gonzalez reached on a bunt single, but Morales was tagged out trying to take third. Vela doubled to left-center to drive in Gonzalez.

Machuca singled up the middle to drive in Vela to cut Foster and Parker’s lead in half.

Then, Foster and Parker tried to pick Machuca off of first, but the throw went into right field. The right fielder had trouble picking the ball up, and Machuca hustled to third. He came in to score on a passed ball to cut the lead to one.

Foster and Parker added a run in the fourth. Ornelas drew an intentional walk. He advanced to second on a wild pitch, and stole third. After a strikeout, Davidson hit a sinking liner under the shortstop’s glove for an error while Ornelas scored for a 5-3 lead.

Morgan’s kept the momentum with a run in the fourth. Luke Rosel and Maximus Moraga opened the inning with walks, and chased Valdez.

Rosel was caught trying to take third on a wild pitch. Michael De La Cruz put down a sacrifice bunt that was fielded by Ornelas behind the plate. He threw the runner out, but no one covered home plate, and Moraga came in to score.

After a scoreless fifth, Foster and Parker tacked on two insurance runs in the sixth. Adan Guzman reached second on an error to lead off the inning. Jesse Zapata hit a grounder to third and Morgan’s tagged out Guzman, but Zapata advanced to second.

Valdez reached on a throwing error and Zapata came in to score. But, Valdez was tagged out trying to take second on the error.

Foster and Parker then hit singles on three straight pitches. Moore started the rally with a single up the middle. Ornelas followed with another single up the middle. Estrada singled to left-center to drive in Moore with Ornelas taking third and Estrada heading to second.

Davidson was hit by a pitch in the helmet to load the bases. However, on a 1-2 pitch to the next batter, Ornelas tried a delay steal of home. He was thrown out. However, instead of sliding at the plate, he ran over Morgan’s catcher, Morales, and was tagged out. Ornelas was ejected from the game, which caused him to miss Thursday’s game.

After the dust settled, Foster and Parker took a 7-4 lead to the bottom of the sixth.

Vela led off by reaching second on a throwing error. Machuca singled up the middle to drive in Vela to cut the lead to two.

Moore got a ground out to short for the first out. Rosel reached on a bunt single, and stole second to put the tying run in scoring position.

Moore settled down and struck out the next two batters to end the game.

District 10 Tournament of Champions

Quarterfinals R H E

Foster and Parker 7 6 3

Morgan’s Garage 5 5 4

WP: Robert Valdez 3 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 2 K. LP: Jayden Morales 1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K. Save: Monte Moore 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. Pitching: MG- Nathan Gonzalez 5 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K. Hitting: FP- Jesse Zapata run; Robert Valdez run; Monte Moore 1-2, 2 runs; Justin Ornelas 2-2, 2 runs, RBI; Adrian Estrada 2-3, run, 3 RBI, 2B; Parker Davidson 1-2, RBI. MG- Nathan Gonzalez 1-3, run; Eli Vela 1-2, 2 runs, RBI; Anthony Machuca 2-3, run, 2 RBI; Luke Rosel 1-2; Maximus Moraga run; Michael De La Cruz RBI.