Softball Game Preview: Madera Coyotes vs. Buchanan Bears

Madera hasn't had much luck against Buchanan recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Coyotes will challenge the Bears at 4:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Madera 2.6, Buchanan 1.3) so any runs scored will be well earned.

Clovis East hit Madera with a five-run second inning on Wednesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Coyotes fell just short of the Timberwolves by a score of 8-6. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Coyotes have suffered since May 2, 2025.

Malea Ricks

Stolen Base

03/18/26 vs Clovis East	1
03/14/26 vs Tucson High Magnet School	2
03/14/26 vs Sunrise Mountain	1
03/13/26 vs Shadow Ridge	1
03/12/26 vs Chaparral	1
+ 10 more games

Malea Ricks was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-4 with three runs and one stolen base. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last 15 games she's played dating back to last season. Savana Cortez was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.

Meanwhile, Buchanan had already won seven in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5 runs) and they went ahead and made it eight on Friday. They came out on top against the Vikings by a score of 8-3.

Buchanan's victory bumped their record up to 8-1. As for Madera, their loss dropped their record down to 7-3.

Madera came up short against Buchanan in their previous matchup back in March of 2025, falling 9-5. Can the Coyotes avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.