The Madera Coyotes will take on the Central Grizzlies at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Madera sitting on seven straight victories and Central on 11.
Madera proved they can win big on Monday (they won by six) and on Monday they proved they can win the close ones too. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Garces Memorial, sneaking past 4-3.
Isabella Aguirre tossed a big game, tossing five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Savana Cortez, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-3. What's more, she posted two RBI, the most she's had since back in March.
Meanwhile, Central put their dominant pitcher on display in the team's third consecutive shutout on Monday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Liberty a 13-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Grizzlies, who have now won six games by six runs or more so far this season.
Yaya Diredo looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Kaelyn Delgado and Gabi Ramirez did most of the damage at the plate: Delgado went 1-for-2 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI, while Ramirez went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That triple was Ramirez's first of the season. Ella Bakholdin was another key player, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.
Central was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .500. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive contests.
Madera's win bumped their record up to 13-4. As for Central, their victory bumped their record up to 15-1-1.
Tuesday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Madera hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .350. However, it's not like Central struggles in that department as they've averaged .340. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Madera's way against Central in their previous matchup back in March of 2019, as Madera made off with a 13-3 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Coyotes since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
