After a tough loss the night before, the Madera South Stallions softball team closed the Kerman Easter Classic with a 4-1 victory over the Reedley Pirates in the third place game.
The Stallions, who defeated their first three opponents by a combined 39-2, managed just three hits in a 5-0 loss Tuesday to the Coalinga Horned Toads, who plaed in the championship game. The Stallions came back with seven hits and backed Erica Valdez for a win Tuesday to close the Kerman tournament with a 4-1 record.
Valdez limited the Pirates to just five hits. She allowed an unearned run and struck out five batters.
Valdez had runners on base in five of the seven innings, but allowed just an unearned run. She stranded eight runners, including five in scoring position.
The Stallions banged out seven hits in the win. Margarita Rascon was the only Stallions with more than one hit — two singles.
Madera South scored all four of its runs in the second inning. Kaylee Nevarez led off the inning with a single to left. Miranda Moles sacrificed her to second and Nevarez scored on a Rascon single.
Destiny Perez followed with a single. Aleecia Rosel hit a grounder to second. Reedley tagged out Perez, but pinch-runner Christina Maahs advanced to second.
Savaanah Garcia walked to load the bases. Valdez reached on an error and Maahs came in to score.
Jessie Maciel singled home Rosel and Garcia scored after Reedley was called for interfering with Garcia around third base. Valerio followed with a single, but pinch-runner Kristina Valenzuela was thrown out at the plate.
From there, the Stallions had trouble with a new Reedley pitcher. The Stallions loaded the bases in the fifth after a walk, hit batter and error, but couldn’t get a run to score.
Reedley put the pressure on the Stallions in the seventh inning. An error allowed the Reedley lead-off batter to reach. Valdez got a lineout and a strikeout, but the runner advanced to second on a wild pitch.
Reedley’s lead-off batter reached on an error to put runners at first and third. Reeedley singled up the middle to drive in a run. However, Valdez induced a flyout to center to end the game.