It wasn’t the prettiest win for the Madera Coyotes softball team, but it will do.
The Coyotes scored 10 runs in the first three innings, but allowed three runs in the fourth and fifth innings before scoring three in the fifth for a 13-3 victory Tuesday over the Edison-Fresno Tigers at Zimmerman Field to remain undefeated in County/Metro Athletic Conference play.
The Coyotes took advantage of five Edison errors to score five unearned runs in the victory. They also had 14 hits, four for extra bases.
Kailea Ricks led the offense with four hits and four RBIs with three runs scored and a double. Erika Perez and Lealani Ricks helped lead the top of the line-up with three runs scored each. The top three hitters in the line-up (Perez and the Ricks sisters) combined to go 9-for-12 with nine runs scored and five RBIs with a double and a triple.
Eliza Nunez and Sara Walter each had extra base hits and Kaylee Patlan scored two runs.
Alexis Galvan had trouble finding the strike zone with four walks in four innings. She stranded the bases loaded in the first and left two on in the fourth before getting out of trouble.
Madera got the scoring started by being aggressive on the bases, a Coyote trait.
Perez led off the inning with a single up the middle. She stole second and went to third on a Lealani Ricks groundout.
Kailea Ricks singled up the middle to score Perez. Ricks stole second and came in to score when Nunez lined a triple down the right field line for a 2-0 lead.
Patlan started the second inning rally when she was hit by a pitch. Galvan put down a sacrifice and aggressive baserunning resulted in Patlan taking two bases. She came in to score when Walter grounded out.
Perez lined a ball to the left-centerfield gap. She hit second and headed to third. Edison tried to get the ball into the infield and the shortstop spiked a throw trying to get Perez for an error. Perez came in to score for a 4-0 lead.
Lealani Ricks singled and went to second on an error. Kailea Ricks hit a pop up to center that went off the fielder’s glove for a single while her sister came in to score. Hamilton singled to right and the ball went by the right fielder for an error to allow Ricks to score for a 6-0 lead.
Nevaeh Galvan was hit by a pitch to lead off the third. Patlan reached on an error and another Alexis Galvan sacrifice moved the runners to second and third.
Walter grounded out to drive in Nevaeh Galvan. Perez singled home Patlan and then stole second.
Lealani Ricks hit a grounder to second and reached when the first baseman dropped the throw. Perez came in to score while Ricks took second. Kailea Ricks hit a double to the left-center gap to drive in her sister for a 10-0 lead.
Edison capitalized on a lead-off walk to score their first run after a double to deep center.
Madera was silenced in the fourth and Edison scored two more runs in the fifth on two walks, a single and an error to cut the lead to 10-3.
Walter led off the fifth with a double to the left-centerfield gap. After a popout, Lealani Ricks reached on a bunt single and Walter raced around the bases to score while Ricks ended up a third.
Kailea Ricks singled home her sister, again, and advanced to second on a throw. After a flyout for the second out, Jocelyn Mendez ended the game with an opposite field single inside the first base line to score Ricks for a 13-3 victory.