Colts Jr. rides early lead to title
Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune
Madera American Little League AAA champions, Colts Jr., celebrates a 9-3 victory over G&J Trucking to win the Madera Little League AAA championship. That also gives manager Felipe Molina (back row, right) his fifth City Championship.
Madera American Little League champions Colts Jr. scored eight runs in the first two innings and crusied to a 9-3 victory to capture the Madera Little League AAA City Championship over Madera National Little League champion, G&J Trucking.
Daniel Molina provided the support on the mound and at the plate. He was 2-3 at the plate with two runs scored, two RBIs and a double. He struck out 10 over four innings of work and allowed just one hit to pick up the win.
David Olivas came in relief and struck out four in two innings. He allowed a run and a hit. The two pitchers held G&J to just two hits, both to Marcel Castillo.
G&J pitchers had trouble finding the strike zone and walked seven batters in the first two innings and nine total.
Molina was dominant at the beginning of the game. He struck out the first five batters and seven of the first eight before allowing a two-out single to Castillo.
While Molina was mowing down G&J hitters, Colts Jr. did work at the plate in the first two innings.
Eli Vela, who scored two runs and reached base all three times, led off with a walk and stole second. He went to third on a wild pitch. Ruben Vargas drew a walk and stole second.
Olivas reached on an error and Vela and Vargas scored.
Molina hit the second pitch he saw to deep center field to drive in Olivas. Molina advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout by Jayden Vargas.
In the second, Titus Grayson was hit by a pitch. He stole second and then scored on a pair of wild pitches.
Nathan Gonzalez kept the rally going with a single and advanced to second on an error. He went to third on a passed ball. Steven Rodriquez walked and stole second. Vela walked, again, to load the bases.
Vargas drew a four-pitch walk to force in Grayson. After a strikeout, Molina grounded out, but Rodriquez scored for a 7-0 lead. Vela later scored on a wild pitch to open an eight-run lead.
The Colts had chances to put the game away in the third and fourth innings, but couldn’t add any more runs. David Alvarado hit a one-out double in the third, but was left stranded at third. Vela hit a one-out double in the fourth, but was doubled up off of third.
Meanwhile, G&J got on the scoreboard in the fifth. Jose Ybarra led off with a walk and stole second. Manny Abundis was hit by a pitch while Ybarra stole third.
After a change in pitchers, Anthony Alvarado greeted Olivas with a grounder back to the mound. Olivas threw out Alvarado, but Ybarra scored G&J’s first run. Two batters later, Abundis scored on a passed ball to cut the lead to 8-2.
Colts answered with a run in the fifth when Molina led off with a single up the middle. He advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches and scored on a groundout by James Flores for a 9-2 lead.
G&J pushed over a run in the sixth when Castillo reached on an infield single and went to second on a throwing error. He stole third and eventually stole home.
However, Olivas struck out the side to end the game for a 9-3 Colts victory.
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