Coyotes waste stellar pitching

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune

Madera clean-up batter Kaylynn Powell rips a single to centerfield for one of her two hits in Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to Golden Valley.

Madera Coyotes softball pitcher Alexis Galvan set a career high in strikeouts earlier this season. She struck out the final three batters she saw in the seventh to tie that record, but couldn’t get enough offense in a 4-1 loss to Golden Valley-Merced earlier this week.

Galvan struck out the final six batters in a row, but the offense couldn’t do enough with six hits and her defense also let her down. She didn’t walk a batter and allowed two earned runs in Tuesday’s loss.

“We aren’t playing Coyote softball right now,” head coach Judy Shaubach said. “We are making mistakes on the bases and we can’t even throw and catch. We need to get better. Noodles (Galvan) pitched a great game and she deserved the victory. However, we need to work on getting batters out in 0-2 counts.”

Of Golden Valley’s five hits, three came on an 0-2 count, including two in a three-run sixth inning.

Kaylynn Powell led the Coyotes with two hits. Kailea Ricks, Nevaeh Galvan, Sadie Gonzales and Leilani Moreno also got hits for the Coyotes.

Golden Valley got a run in the second inning when Galvan hit the lead-off batter on the first pitch. She retired the next two batters.

The next batter singled. Then, the Cougars tried a double steal, but the throw to third was wide. Madera tried to get the runner heading to second, but the throw wasn’t caught and it allowed the run to score.

After allowing a single to the next batter, Galvan retired 10 of the next 11 until the sixth inning and eight by strikeout.

Madera put pressure on in the third when Moreno reached on a one-out bunt single and Ricks singled to left. However, a pair of popouts ended the threat.

Madera scored its lone run in the fourth. Powell led off with a single up the middle. Nastasha Griffin put down a sacrifice but to try to move pinch-runner Nunez to second. The throw to get Griffin was low and mishandled. Nunez scrambled to third. Golden Valley tried to get Nunez at third, but the throw was wide and Nunez scored while Griffin took second.

Griffin tried to steal third and was tagged out for the first out of the inning and the next two batters struck out to kill Madera’s momentum.

The Cougars reclaimed the lead in the top of the sixth with a lead-off double and a single for a run. The next batter hit a grounder to first and Griffin missed the tag on the batter to put runners at first and second. The next batter singled to left and the ball was misplayed for an error to allow two more runs to score for a 4-1 lead.

Galvan then settled down and struck out the final six batters of the game.

Madera tried to rally in the sixth when Galvan led off with a single. However, she was doubled up when Brianah Hamilton’s screaming line drive was caught to end the rally. Powell singled to follow, but a strikeout ended the inning.

Madera went down in order in the seventh for a 4-1 defeat.