Madera American explodes for championship rematch
Tyler Takeda/The Madera Tribune
Madera American’s Juan Gil slides in under the throw to score one of nine second inning runs during a 17-4 victory over Sunnyside on Thursday. The Madera American 11-12-year-old All-Stars play Madera National today for the District 10 championship. Madera American needs to win twice in the double-elimination tournament.
FRESNO — After allowing two runs in the first inning, the Madera American Little League scored the next 13 runs to cruise to a 17-4 victory over the Sunnyside All-Stars to advance to the District 10 11-12-year-old championship game in a rematch against Madera National.
Madera American sent 15 batters to the plate during a nine-run second inning to cruise to the semifinal win Friday night at Sunnyside in an elimination game.
Madera American, who lost to Madera National in a 10-inning epic last week, will get their rematch with Madera National on Wednesday in the District 10 championship. Madera American needs to win twice in the double-elimination tournament.
Roman Aguilar led the offense with a triple and a home run. He scored three runs and drove in a pair. Freddy Flores had two hits and drove in four. Juan Gil drove in three runs and scored three.
All nine starters head either a hit, scored a run or drove in a run. Eight of the nine starters had a hit, seven of the nine drove in a run and scored a run.
Starting pitcher Jake Guerra had the game, pretty much, at hand. He tossed the first 4 2/3 innings and allowed three runs and four hits, but none of the runs were earned. He struck out 10 and walked one. Kingston Garcia threw 1 1/3 innigns of perfect ball to close out the game.
Sunnyside opened the game with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. The home team was helped by a pair of errors, a hit batter and a walk for the 2-0 lead.
Then, Madera American exploded in the top of the second inning to take control of the game.
Guerra led off with a walk. He went to second on a wild pitch and scored on Juan Gil’s single to center that went off the diving centerfielder’s glove. Gil advanced to second on the throw and advanced to third on a single by Zach Granados.
After a strikeout, Kevin Osuna reached on an error that allowed Gil and Granados to score to take the lead.
Aguilar reached on an error. Gilbert Dela Fuente singled to right to drive in Osuna. Garcia kept the line moving with a single up the middle to drive in Aguilar.
Guerra drew his second walk of the inning to load the bases. Gil drew a full count walk to force in Dela Fuente. Freddy Flores followed with a single up the middle to drive in Garcia and Guerra while Gil advanced to second.
Granados drew a full count walk that chased the Sunnyside starter. A.J. Resendez drew the fifth walk of the inning to force in Gil for a 9-2 lead.
Madera American didn’t stop scoring in the third. Aguilar led off with a triple to center after the centerfielder misplayed the long fly ball. Dela Fuente grounded out, but Aguilar scored for a 10-2 lead.
Garcia started another rally with a double off the centerfield fence. Guerra hit a popup to third that was misplayed for another error to put runners at first and third. Gil drew a walk to load the bases.
Flores lined a single to right to drive in Garcia and Guerra, again. Granados singled to left to load the bases. Raymond Espinoza reached on a fielder’s choice, but Gil came in to score for a 13-2 lead.
Sunnyside battled back with two runs in the third. After the lead-off batter reached on an error, Guerra got the next two outs. However, a single and a double drove in two runs to get within 10 to keep the mercy rule from occurring.
Sunnyside kept the game going by retiring six of the next seven batters to stay within nine.
Guerra pitched into the fifth inning before he reached his pitch count. Garcia came in and got a forceout to end the fifth.
Madera American added to its lead in the sixth. With one out, Osuna doubled to left-center.
On the first pitch he saw in the sixth, Aguilar lined a shot over the left-centerfield fence for a two-run home run.
Dela Fuente kept the rally going by reaching on an infield single. Garcia singled to right. Guerra lined a ball to left-centerfield to drive in Dela Fuente. Gil hit a fly ball to center that was deep enough to score Garcia for a 17-4 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth, Garcia got a groundout before hit hit a batter. He closed the game with a groundout and a lineout to send Madera American to the District 10 championship game against Madera National.
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