MNLL 10s fall short of title game
Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune
Madera National’s Isis Santoyo throws a pitch during a one-hit victory over Sequoia in the first game of Saturday’s 8-10-year-old Valley Section All-Star Tournament.
With scores looking more like a football game than a softball game, the Madera National Little League 8-10-year-old softball All-Stars came back for their only win of the Valley Section Championships, but fell victim to a comeback to get eliminated from the tournament.
Madera National advanced in the winner’s bracket on Saturday with a 13-9 victory over Sequoia. They outscored Sequoia 12-6 in the final three innings and 6-3 in the final two innings for the victory.
In an elimination semifinal game Sunday, Madera National looked to have the game in hand after a 13-run first inning. Unfortunately, Sequoia scored at least three runs in every inning, including 15 over the final two to outscore Madera National 25-6 after the top of the first for a 25-19 victory.
In the first game, Isis Santoyo allowed just one hit in a complete game win. She walked seven, but struck out 15 batters. She allowed nine runs, but four were earned for the win.
However, in the second game, with Santoyo ineligible to pitch, Jaydah Mendez was tagged for 15 runs, nine earned over three innings. The defense didn’t help with 12 errors that lead to nine unearned runs, including six for Mendez. The three Madera National pitchers also combined for 11 walks.
In the first game, Skyla Uribe-Cuevas and Santoyo led the offense with two hits each. Uribe-Cuevas, Leilani Parra and Devannah Campbell each scored two runs.
After Madera National loaded the bases in the top of the first inning and didn’t score, Sequoia scored two runs on two walks and two passed balls for the early lead.
Campbell led off the second with a walk and stole second. She went to third on an error and scored on a wild pitch to Jazelle Castaneda for Madera National’s first run.
Sequoia laded another run in the third on a hit batter, two wild pitches and an error for a 3-1 lead.
Madera National scored six runs in the fourth to take the lead.
Melanie Navarette-Tovar was hit by a pitch to open the inning. Marley Avila drew a walk and Navarette-Tovar scored on a wild pitch to Leilani Parra, who later drew a walk. Avila scored on a wild pitch and Parra came in to score on an error.
Santoyo began the next rally with a single and stole second. Makayla Medley singled home Santoya and Jayleen Estrada followed with a single. Campbell tripled over the head of the right fielder to drive in Estrada and Medley for a 7-3 lead.
Sequoia scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth without the benefit of a hit. Three walks, a hit batter, a throwing error, two wild pitches and two passed balls cut Madera National’s lead to 7-6.
Madera National scored a two-out run in the fifth. Uribe-Cuevas singled and went to second on a wild pitch.
Santoyo hit a pitch over the centerfielder’s head for a triple to drive in Uribe-Cuevas for an 8-6 lead.
Sanotyo kept Sequoia off the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth.
Madera National added five runs in the sixth with just one hit. With one out, Campbell, Chavez and Isabella Perez drew walks to load the bases. Campbell scored on a wild pitch to Castaneda.
After a strikeout, Parra drew a walk to load the bases.
Uribe-Cuevas singled home Chavez to keep the bases loaded. Santoyoa reached on an error to clear the bases, scoring Perez, Parra and Uribe-Cuevas for a 13-6 lead,
Santoyo struck out the lead off batter of the sixth, but walked the next batter, allowed a single for a run and hit a batter. A wild pitch and a passed ball scored two runners to empty the bases.
Santoyo struck out the next two batters on seven pitches to end the game with a win.
Madera National later lost to Turlock National, 6-2, on Saturday and came back Sunday morning with another game against Sequoia.
Madera National woke up early with 16 batters heading to the plate in the first inning.
Castaneda started the game by reaching on an error. She wnt to second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored on an error.
Perez drew a walk, went to second on a passed ball and scored on a pair of wild pitches. Parra singled to left. After a strikeout, Santoyo hit a ball to the centerfield fence for a triple to drive in Parra. Santoya came home on an error for a 4-0 lead.
Campbell drew a walk. After a strikeout, Navarette-Tovar and Mendez walked load the bases. Campbell scored on a wild pitch to Castaneda, who walked to re-load the bees.
Perez, Parra, Uribe-Cuevas, Santoyo and Campbell were walked in succession. to force in runs.
Estrada cleared the bases with a double to right-centerfield for 13 runs before Sequoia came to the plate.
Madera National was kept off the scoreboard for the next three innings while Sequoia scored four runs in the bottom of the first, three in the second and three more in the third to cut the lead to 13-10.
Turlock then sent 13 batters to the plate to score eight runs on four hits with five walks and two hit batters for an 18-13 lead in the fourth.
Madera National cut the lead to two with three runs in the top of the fifth. Parra reached on an error. Uribe-Cuevas singled and Santoyo singled home Parra.
Uribe-Cuevas stole second and Santoyo scored when Campbell reached on an error to cut the lead to two. Madera National loaded the bases, but had a runner thrown out at the plate to trail by two.
Sequoia added seven more runs on two hits, two walks, two hit batters and three errors to take a 25-16 lead.
Madera National made a valiant comeback attempt in the top of the sixth.
Perez led off the inning with a single. Uribe-Cuevas singled home Perez for the first run of the inning. Santoyo singled Cuevas to second and a catcher’s interference allowed Campbell to reach while loading the bases.
Uribe-Cuevas scored on a wild pitch to Estrada, who grounded out. Santoyo scored on the groundout to cut the lead to six. However, the next batter struck out to complete Sequoia’s 13-run comeback with a win.
