Mistakes help stop Stallions’ streak

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune

Madera South’s Kalei Kajitani throws a pitch during Tuesday’s loss to Bullard. She threw 2/3 of an inning and struck out a batter.

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The Madera South Stallions baseball team was riding high after victories over San Joaquin Memorial-Fresno and crosstown rivals Madera to finish the first round of the County/Metro Athletic Conference.

However, everything the Stallions did right in two games last week, they did wrong in a 17-5 loss to the Bullard-Fresno Knights on Tuesday in Eddie Chapa Field. The Stallions were optimistic after a close 5-2 loss to Bullard in the first round.

However, five errors led to 14 unearned runs and the Stallions’ pitching staff walked 10 batters in Tuesday’s loss.

The positive for the Stallions was they managed to push across five runs against the Knights and battled to the end.

Elijah Tang was the only Stallion to record more than one hit. Tang, Murf Gray and Xavier Cantu each hit doubles out of their six hits.

Starting pitcher Jorge Gutierrez, who had been pitching well in the win over the Memorial and the loss to Bullard, had trouble finding the strike zone.

He allowed seven runs in 1 2/3 innings, but just one run was earned. He walked five and allowed three hits.

Johnathan Spraggins got the final out of the second and allowed one run over the next two innings. However, the was touched up for five runs in the fifth inning, but just one run was earned.

Kalei Kajitani made her second appearance of the season and recorded her first strikeout. However, an error behind her and a pair of walks led to five funs, all unearned.

Joseph Cosio was the only Stallion’s pitcher unscathed. He didn’t allow a run over the final 1 2/3 innings with a pair of strikeouts.

The Stallions scored a run in the third when Tang hit a two-out double and scored on a single from Brian Monges.

Gray doubled to open the fourth and scored on Cantu’s ground-rule double to right. Spraggins reached on an error and Anthony Gamiz was hit by a pitch. A double play drove in Cantu.

The Stallions added two more runs in the seventh. Bryce Johnson drew a walk. After a strikeout, J.J. Villanueva reached on an error. Aldo Cardenas reached on an infield single to load the bases.

A wild pitch to Monges drove in Johnson. Monges grounded out, but Villanueva came in to score for the 17-5 final.