SPORTS

PAGEA4 Monday, July 27, 2009

Madera 13s take long road

to state semifinal game

THE MADERA TRIBUNE

FOWLER - Thirteen has

proven to be anything but an

unlucky number for Madera

in the 13-year-old state Babe

Ruth Tournament in Fowler.

Manager Andy Gutierrez

threw his ace Scott Roberts in

the opening-game win Friday,

but surviving against the eight

best teams the state has to offer

more often than not comes

down to who has the greatest

depth.

“I have said it all along,”

Gutierrez said. “If it comes

down to pitching depth, I will

take our chances against just

about any team. And now it

really becomes critical the

next two games because

teams are scrambling for

pitching to carry them.”

In the double-elimination

format, a team may get to

have one off game, but never

two. So when Madera

dropped a 7-3 decision Saturday,

it was time for Gutierrez

to see how deep his pitching

staff and bench were after

never being remotely challenged

in capturing the Dis-

trict 2 championship and having

to work their way through

the consolation bracket to

reach a potential bid in the title

game.

But after a 6-2 victory Sunday

afternoon,Madera had little

time to rest as a 5 p.m.

matchup against host Dinuba

to stay alive in the tournament

loomed just minutes ahead.

And Madera crashed the

home team’s party by dispatching

Dinuba 12-2 to advance

to the state championship

semifinal game today

against either Tulare or Santa

Maria at 6 p.m.

“We will go with Sal (Martinez)

and if we make it to the

championship game, Scott

will get the ball,” Gutierrez

said. “There’s no tomorrow

for any team at this point.You

just go with what you have.

And I like what we have.”

Madera 12, Dinuba 2

Gutierrez again put the ball

in the sure hands of Roberts

and the hard-slinging southpaw

didn’t disappoint by

throwing four innings, allowing

three hits with 3 strikeouts

WENDY ALEXANDER/

THE MADERA

TRIBUNE

TYLER TAKEDA/THE MADERA TRIBUNE