Madera completes two-game sweep

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune

Madera’s Aiden Owens scores the game-tying run in the third inning of last week’s walk-off victory over the Edison Tigers in Mel Parker Field.

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The Madera Coyotes baseball team completed a two-game sweep against Edison-Fresno with a 16-8 victory. However, it was a much closer contest when the two teams met a few days earlier.

Tyler Zamora drove in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning to help Madera clinch a 7-6 victory in Tuesday’s matchup. The Coyotes appeared to be in trouble when Edison took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. But the home team refused to quit.

Madera responded in the bottom of the first when Joel Arellano drove in two runs. With Francisco Espejo staying on the mound for the Coyotes, the Tigers went scoreless in the second inning. Madera’s Aiden Owens scored the tying run in the third inning, running to home from third base when the Tigers committed an error.

The score remained the same until Arellano drove in Logan Wattenbarger in the fifth inning to give the Coyotes a 4-3 lead. Arellano then took over pitching duties in the sixth inning.

Edison, however, found success in the top of the seventh with a three-run home run. But the Tigers’ celebration didn’t last long. Madera spoiled the visitors’ party in the final inning, scoring Adam Landero to start the rally.

With the score 6-5, Ivan Castaneda laid down a perfect bunt to drive in Wattenbarger and tie the game. The Coyotes kept the momentum going when Edison walked Eric Wilson. Zamora later drove in Wilson to clinch the walkoff win, setting up a joyous celebration in front of the home crowd.

“It was crazy. I got walked, I was hyped, dancing and doing my thing,” Wilson said. “I knew Tyler was going to do something. I was just happy. I was waiting for it to happen and it happened.”

“I had a feeling going up there. I was like ‘This is a big moment right here, I gotta come up big,’” Zamora added. “When (Castaneda) came up and he got the bunt over, got the tying run in, I was like ‘It’s my time.’ I just had to do what I had to do.”

The Coyotes completed the two-game sweep on Friday with a 16-8 blasting. Nick Sweet picked up the win, but got plenty of offense to help out.

All nine starters either scored a run or got a hit in the game. Zachary Robbins, Josh Alvarez and Zamora each had two hits. Landero and Alvarez each drove in two runs.

Zamora scored three runs. Landero, Wattenbarger, Arellano, Robbins and Alvarez each scored two runs.