Coyotes come back from coast with 3-1 record

Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune

Madera’s Alexis Galvan throws a pitch during a 6-1 loss to St. Joseph’s on Saturday. She struck out a career-high 15 batters later in the day against Atascadero.

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After opening the season with four games on the coast, Madera Coyotes softball head coach Judy Shaubach is pleased with her team’s performance.

The Coyotes came away with a 3-1 record with wins over Arroyo Grande, Santa Maria and Atascadero in the two-day trip.

Despite missing their top two hitters from last season, the Coyotes filled in and batted .316 as a team with nine extra-base hits.

Eliza Nunez led the Coyotes with a .727 batting average (8-for-11) with three doubles. Freshman Sadie Gonzalez hit .545 with three runs scored and two stolen bases. Brianha Hamilton hit .500 with a double and triple to go with three stolen bases.

Reigning Madera Tribune Softball Most Valuable Player Alexis Galvan picked up right where she left off from last season. She ended the four games with a 0.78 ERA (two earned runs in 18 innings). She struck out 32 batters and walked just two while allowing 12 hits. She held hitters to a .185 batting average against.

She also did damage at the plate, leading the Coyotes with three RBIs over the weekend.

Madera 2, Arroyo Grande 0

Galvan opened her senior season with a bang. She allowed just two hits in the season opener and struck out 11 batters without allowing a walk.

Arroyo Grande had just two baserunners all game and they didn’t get past first base. Galvan closed the game, protecting a 2-0 lead, by retiring the final 14 batters and eight by strikeout.

Nunez led the offense with two doubles and an RBI.

Madera pushed over a run in the top of the first inning. With one out, Nevaeh Galvan was hit by a pitch. She advanced to second on a Hamilton single up the middle. After Galvan and Hamilton stole second and third, Nunez hit a double to left-center, but only Galvan scored on the play. Hamilton and Nunez were left in scoring position.

Madera added another run in the fourth. Nunez led off with a single, but her pinch-runner was forced at second. Nastasha Griffin, who grounded into a forceout, was also forced out. Jocelyn Mendez advanced to second on a Kaylynn Powell single up the middle. Kendal Bartsch singled up the middle to drive home Mendez for a 2-0 lead.

Madera had another chance in the sixth after a Nunez double to the left field wall after a 12-pitch at-bat. Griffin followed with a single, but the Coyotes couldn’t score.

Madera 10, Santa Maria 1

Despite some baserunning miscues, the Coyotes had a rather easy time with a 10-1 win over Santa Maria.

Griffin tossed a complete game four-hitter. She struck out a career-high 12 batters and didn’t allow a walk.

The Coyotes banged out 16 hits in the game and scored eight runs in the first three innings. However, they couldn’t push over another run until they scored two in the seventh.

Griffin helped her cause with three hits, two runs scored, an RBI with two triples. Hamilton was 3-for-4 with a triple, but was thrown out trying for an inside-the-park home run. Gonzalez was 3-for-4 with a double, but she was thrown out at third trying to steal two bases on one pitch.

Danielle Aguirre was 2-for-2 and five other players had hits for the Coyotes.

Madera’s three runs in the first came with noboty on and two away in the inning. They added three more runs in the second, two coming on Hamilton’s triple. Gonzalez doubled in another run in the third and Marisa Rincon drove in Gonzalez.

In the seventh, Leilani Moreno reached on an error and scored on Griffin’s second triple of the game. She scored on a single by Powell for the 10-1 win.

St. Joseph’s 6, Madera 0

The Coyotes seemed to still be sleeping in a Saturday morning contest with St. Joseph’s-Santa Maria

Galvan lasted four innings, but gave up five runs, two earned. She struck out six and walked one, but her defense committed six errors behind her, all throwing.

The Knights scored all six runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings.

Nunez was 3-for-3 with a double and Galvan also hit a double. The Coyotes also got singles from Nevaeh Galvan and Gonzalez.

Madera 4, Atascadero 0

After a hour drive from Santa Maria to Atascadero, and without the benefit of a warm up, the Coyotes put away the Greyhounds behind another dominant performance from Galvan.

Not only did Alexis Galvan drive in three runs of her team’s four runs, she also set a new career-high with 15 strikeouts against just one walk. The 15 strikeouts are tied for most in Madera Coyotes’ history in a seven-inning game. She could have broken the record because her only walk came on a questionable full count call.

Hamilton led the offense with three hits, including a double. Gonzalez added two hits and two runs scored.

Despite the lack of warm-ups, the Coyotes scored in the top of the first inning. Nunez led off with a walk. Gonzalez reached on a bunt single. Nunez advanced to third and Gonzalez went to second on the play. After a groundout, Galvan grounded out and Nunez came in to score for a 1-0 lead.

Madera added two more runs in the third. Gonzalez drew a one-out walk and Hamilton singled up the middle on a hit-and-run. Gonzalez advanced to third while Hamilton went to second on the throw. Galvan singled up the middle to drive in Gonzalez and Hamilton for a 3-0 lead.

Gonzalez led off the fifth with a bunt single and went to third on Hamilton’s double to right-center. Two batters later, Griffin laid down a safety squeeze and Gonzalez scored for a 4-0 lead.

The lead could have been bigger, but the Coyotes stranded five runners in scoring position.

Galvan finished off the Greyhounds on the mound. She struck out the side in the first inning and struck out two batters in the second, third, fourth and seventh innings. The lone run she allowed scored on an error after a single.