SPORTS

PAGEA4 Thursday, July 2, 2009

Breakfast Lions battle the

odds to capture Babe Ruth

Majors championship

THE MADERA TRIBUNE

When the regular season was nearly over,

no one would have imagined the Madera

Breakfast Lions team as anything more than

a “one-and-done” squad heading in to the

playoffs.

After all, they only had a record of 7-6-1

and one pitcher who compiled all their wins

on the season while the others were a combined

0-6-1.

But funny things can happen when the season

is on the line. The improbable can become

reality, such as Tuesday night when the

Breakfast Lions rode their momentum into a

13-9 extra-inning win over Central Cal Transportation

to capture the Madera Babe Ruth

Majors City Championship.

“No one ever expected for us to be here but

the kids just put the regular season behind

them and just play ball,” said Breakfast Lions

coach Rene Romo. “The pressure was in the

two games it took for us to get here against

Pete’s Sports Shop so the championship game

was kind of a bonus.”

And this amazing tale of overcoming the

odds was played out to perfection as the

Breakfast Lions knocked off the league’s best

team, Pete’s Sports Shop, Friday 5-4 to force

anotherMonday matchup with the winner advancing

to Tuesday night’s championship

game against Central Cal Transportation.

And the bubble seemed sure to pop as the

scrappy Breakfast Lions trailed Pete’s 4-3 in

the bottom of the seventh before Anthony

Castro delivered the biggest hit of the season,

a two-run single, giving Breakfast Lions a 5-

4 win and a date Tuesday night for the championship.

While the Breakfast Lions had relied on

flame-throwing southpaw Scott Roberts all

season long, it made sense to run him out the

previous two games against Pete’s. He won

both games to run his season record of 9-0,

but the question of who to pitch in the championship

game became one of primary importance.

“Roberts was tremendous all season and

SPORTS

PAGEA5 Saturday,August 8, 2009

13s drop second

game to Alameda in

Babe Ruth Regionals

THE MADERA TRIBUNE

EUREKA, Calif.—While

pitching depth is essential for

any team wanting to lay

claim to a tournament title,

especially in one as talentladen

as the Babe Ruth Pacific

Southwest Regionals, hitting

is a close second.

After winning its opening

game 7-3 Thursday behind

ace Scott Roberts, the

Madera Babe Ruth 13-yearold

All-Stars got an ace-like

performance from Donovan

Bertoncini Friday, but couldn’t

manage to get their bats

going in dropping a 3-2 decision

to Alameda.

The loss dropsMadera into

the consolation bracket where

they will face host Eureka

tonight at 6:30 for the opportunity

to advance or go home.

Bertoncini tossed a complete-

game six-hitter while

recording six strikeouts and

allowing only two walks but

was the hard-luck loser in a

game where Madera mustered

only three hits to support

him.

Madera struck first in the

bottom of the first as Isaac

Garcia reached on an error,

stole second and advanced to

third on a wild pitch before

scoring on a groundout by

Roberts.

Apitcher’s duel ensued for

the next four innings with

neither team being able to

score. But in the top of the

sixth, Eureka parlayed a pair

of singles with a Madera error

to tie the game 1-1 before

a relay from shortstop Joseph

Mendrin to home cut down

the second runner to preserve

the tie.

SPORTS

PAGEA4 Monday,August 10, 2009

13s hit the end of the road at Regionals

THE MADERA TRIBUNE

The hurt will last only a little

while, but for the Madera

Babe Ruth 13-year-old All-

Stars, the memories and pride

in what they accomplished in

this magical summer will be

the fuel to drive them further

next season.

While they were eliminated

from the Pacific Southwest

Regional Tournament Sunday

in Eureka in a 15-8 loss to La

Cresenta, they have etched

their names into the record

books having gone further

than any others in the 57-year

history of Madera Babe Ruth.

“There were no heads hanging,”

said head coach Andy

Gutierrez. “I told them to hold

their heads high because they

accomplished more than any

team ever in this history of

Madera Babe Ruth.

“There are hundreds of

teams that would want to be in

our position and to finish

fourth in the Western Region

of the entire country is a testament

to the kind of players

and kids they are.”

They went 4-1 to win the

California District II championship,

then 5-1 with a 15-inning

thriller to capture the

Central California State title

and pick up two wins at the

Regionals including victories

over theArizona state champs

and the Northern California

champs from host Eureka.

And having gone through

the experience will most assuredly

give them all the ammunition

they need next season

when they can again make

a run as 14-year-olds.

“Let me tell you, some of

these kids are not only going

to be great high school players,

but have the chance to

even go on to the next level,”

Gutierrez said. “Scott Roberts,

Isaac Garcia, Donovan

Bertoncini, Joseph Mendrin

all have big futures ahead of

them.”

So while the players and

coaches pack up their bags,

equipment and momentos and

head back home, they also will

bring with them the experience

of a lifetime and the confidence

of knowing that they

are among the best teams in

California and theWest Coast.

“This was such a special experience

for me and the coaches,”

Gutierrez said. “There’s

no sadness although of course

I wish we could have gone

further. But I got a chance to

really get to know these young

men and get closer to them

and for that I will be forever

grateful.”

And with that, these players

will almost certainly lead to a

resurgence inMadera baseball

at the high school level when

they join their respective Coyote

and Stallion programs.

After opening the tournament

Thursday with a 7-3 win

overArizona,Madera dropped

a narrow 3-2 decision the next

day to Alameda. Then a 5-4

win over host Eureka Saturday

with Scott Roberts picking up

his 18th win of the season

without a loss kept their hopes

alive in the double-elimination

tournament.

But Sunday, Madera finally

ran out of pitching and despite

SPORTS

PAGEA4 Monday, July 13, 2009

Madera 13 year olds wrap

up Babe Ruth District II title

THE MADERA TRIBUNE

On a blistering day at Eddie Chapa

Field,waterwas a precious commodity

as players and fans tried to

stave off the 102 degree heat.

But it was Madera manager

Andy Gutierrez who found himself

most refreshed as he was the

lucky recipient of a Gatorade

shower from his players Saturday

following his team defeating Clovis

5-1 to clinch the District II

championship.

“On a day like this, it’s not a bad

thing to get drenched with cold

water,” Gutierrez said. “But really,

we have a great group of kids

who are talented and love playing

the game and a championship is

the result.”

Madera went 4-0 during the

tournament outscoring its opponents

by a combined 40 to 10.

They banged out 32 hits while limiting

their opponents to just 13 and

were successful of 25-of-26 stole

base attempts.

As he did in the first game of the

tournament against Bullard, Scott

Roberts took the hill for Madera

and had another tremendous outing

tossing a complete-game one-hitter

with five strikeouts and one walk.

For the tournament Roberts was

2-0 with ten innings pitched while

allowing just two hits and three

walks to go alongwith 12 strikeouts

and his season record is now 13-0.

“Scotty with lights out again,”

Gutierrez said. “Sometimes it

seems almost unfair for the other

team but I’m going to keep giving

him the ball.”

In the championship game,

Madera was led in hitting by

Donovan Bertoncini and Isaac

Garcia who each were 2-for-3 with

a double.

After Roberts put Clovis down

in order with a pair of strikeouts in

the top of the first,Madera leadoff

hitter Isaac Garcia, who was 6-for-

8 in the tournament, doubled to the

wall in left and scored on an RBI

single by Roberts. Bertoncini then

singled and scored on a run-scoring

single byAdriano Coronado to

stake Madera to a 2-0 lead.

This two-run cushion was more

that Roberts needed as his 80 mph

fastball and dizzying array of offspeed

pitches left the only consolation

for the Clovis batters being the

breeze as the pitches cross the plate.

While Madera was held to its

lowest hit output in the tournament,

it can be attributed to Clovis

running out a series of pitchers

who were simply lobbing the ball

in with very little velocity which

Madera had trouble adjusting to.

“We are a very good hitting team

and are at our best against harder

throwing pitchers,” Gutierrez said.

“And I think Clovis saw that in our

last game and did what they could

to throw us off balance.”

Madera added its final three runs

in the bottom of the fourth as Isaac

Granado led off with a walk and

promptly stole second.A Clovis er-

THE MADERA TRIBUNE

The locale was different, the

temperatures cooler, the competition

greater and the stakes

much higher.

But the results were still the

same for the Madera Babe

Ruth 13-year-old All-Stars as

they staged a 7-3 come-frombehind

win over Arizona in

the opening game of the Pacific

Southwest Babe Ruth

Regional tournament Thursday

in Eureka.

Never in the 57-year history

of Madera Babe Ruth has a

team ever even advanced to

the regionals, so in pulling out

a win, the Madera team has

now carved another notch into

their history-making season.

This was not only unchartered

territory because of being

at the regionals, but also

becauseMadera has not had to

deal with playing from behind

with the flame-throwing Scott

Roberts on the hill.

“They were a very good hitting

team and were getting to

Scott’s fastball but (Roberts)

never got rattled at all,” said

Madera coach Andy Gutierrez.

“And the coaches just

kept pumping up the players

and reminding them like we

have all along that the team

that battles and wants to win

the most will come through.”

But there was never a doubt

that Gutierrez would hand the

ball to his ace lefthander

Roberts, who has racked up 16

wins without a defeat on the

season.

And while Roberts was tested

more than he has been the

entire season, scattering 10

hits with three strikeouts, he

nonetheless walked off the

mound after seven innings

with the win to notch his 17th

win of the season without a

loss.

Roberts aided his own cause

going 2-for-4 from the plate

with an RBI whileWillie Cappelluti

went 2-for-4 with a

two-run double.

With its prolific offense,

Madera is not accustomed to

having to mount a come-frombehind

attack, but when Arizona

parlayed three hits into

three runs in the top of the first

inning, the pressure was clearly

on.

Madera got two runs back in

the bottom of the third as Sal

Martinez and Isaac Garcia got

back-to-back one-out singles

and advanced to second and

third on a wild pitch. Joseph

Mendrin then drew a walk to

load the bases before Roberts

came through with an RBI single

to put Madera on the

board.

“Even when we got down

early, we knew there was a lot

THE MADERA TRIBUNE

FOWLER — Score three

runs in the first inning and put

the ball in the hands of lefthander

Scott Roberts. Stir in a

few hits and play solid defense.

Let it simmer for seven

innings on a hot day and you

have the recipe for a win.

As a result, the District 2

Babe Ruth 13-year-old All-

Stars knocked off the Division

I team from San Benito, 4-2,

Friday at Fowler High School.

San Benito “was supposed

to be the favorites from what I

understand, “ said Madera

head coach Andy Gutierrez.

The team’s players “were

huge and very good but with

Scotty on the mound and our

ability to play sound defense

behind him and score some

runs, we did what we came

out to do.”

The Babe Ruth State Tournament

has eight teams representing

different geographical

areas of the state in a doubleelimination

format.

Roberts tossed a completegame

3-hitter with six strikeouts

to pick up the win and run

his season record to 14-0, although

he did walks seven

batters.

“I have no concerns at all

when (Roberts) is on the

mound,” said Gutierrez in referring

to the seven walks.

“He has always come through

and we knew we could ride

him again.”

Madera jumped all over San

Benito in the top of the first as

Isaac Garcia reached by error

and Joseph Mendrin drew a

walk. Roberts then roped a

run-scoring double and Donovan

Bertoncini drove in Mendrin

on a sacrifice fly. Robert

then raced home to score on a

passed ball, giving Madera a

3-0 lead.

“This was a big step up in

terms of competition,” Gutierrez

said. “We missed out on

some more scoring opportunities,

but I thought we played a

very good, fundamental game.”

San Benito got on the score-

M A D E R A T R I B U N E , M A D E R A , C A L I F O R N I A

By Paul Stanford

Madera's

Scott

Roberts

drills an RBI

double during

the

Madera

Babe Ruth

13-year-old

All-Stars'

run during

the State

tournament.

SPORTS

PAGEA4 Thursday, July 30, 2009

CATHY GOMES/THE MADERA TRIBUNE

13s make history in

capturing state title

THE MADERA TRIBUNE

Kenny Taylor must be smiling

down from heaven.

An icon of Madera sports,

and especially Babe Ruth

baseball, in which he was involved

for 27 years as a coach

and president, Taylor passed

away Jan. 9 without ever seeing

a Madera team capture a

state title.

Tuesday night in Fowler, the

Madera 13-year-old Babe

Ruth All-Stars did what Taylor’s

own 13-year-old teams

could not accomplish: bring

the state title toMadera for the

first time in the 57-year history

of the organization.Madera

defeated Tulare in back-toback

games, pulling out a 2-1,

15-inning decision to clinch

the Central California Babe

Ruth State championship.

“One of the first thoughts

we had last night after the

game was about Kenny,” said

coach Frank Borges. “We

talked about how proud he

would have been to witness

this.”

“I truly believe Kenny was

rooting this team on and is

part of why they won,” said

Madera Babe Ruth president

Bobby Anglin, who assumed

the position following Taylor’s

untimely death. “And the

thing is Kenny loved coaching

13-year-olds the most because

they were more willing and

teachable. If he was still alive,

Kenny would have probably

been coaching this team.”

The closest any prior team

came was Taylor’s 1998

squad, which advanced to the

championship game, where it

lost in extra innings. That

team boasted three players

who would go on to enjoy

professional baseball careers:

Brian Lapin and Gary Moran,

who are still playing, and former

Fresno State ace Andy

Underwood, who retired two

seasons ago.

This year’s manager, Andy

Gutierrez, along with coaches

Frank andMatt Borges, molded

the team into one that not

only had talent and depth, but

also an unyielding commitment

to winning.

“Let me tell you, these kids

are very talented but there are

a lot of teams with talent that

don’t get the job done,”

Gutierrez said. “What separates

our kids and make them

champions is their desire, perseverance

and their faith that

they can always find a way to

win.”

Heading into Tuesday

night’s matchup against a Tulare

team that had beaten

Madera on Saturday, its only

loss of the tournament, the

All-Stars faced un uphill battle,

needing to defeat Tulare in

back-to-back games to win the

title.

Gutierrez sent Scott Roberts

to the hill in the opener and,

just has he has done all season,

the ace left-hander had a sensational

outing, tossing a complete-

game 5-hitter with nine

strikeouts to lead Madera to a

2-0 win that forced a second

game 30 minutes later.

“Scotty was just lights out

again,” Gutierrez said. “When

the ball in in his hands, it

makes being a manager a

whole lot easier.”

Roberts is 16-0 this season

and went 3-0 in tournament