(5-3-08)

special to KIIITV
by Pete Garcia, Alice Echo News

The Alice Coyotes put together two big six-run innings to make quick work of the Mercedes Tigers, 12-1, in five innings and wrap up the Class 4A bi-district playoff series.The Coyotes won Game 2 of the best-of-three series Saturday afternoon in front of a large home crowd at the Coyotes Baseball Complex. For their efforts, Alice earns a shot at the state-ranked Moody Trojans. The Trojans are currently ranked No. 3 in the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association poll. They are also the only team this season to have beaten the Calallen Wildcats.Still, Saturday was Alice's day. The Coyotes battered the Tigers' pitching staff for 10 hits. Six of those hits came in the second inning. Markus Martinez led things off with a lead-off triple. Mark Salazar, Josh Cavazos and Zac Garza then batted in runs to give Alice a quick 3-0 lead. They weren't done in the inning. The Coyotes went on to score on a past pitch and RBIs by R.J. Gomez and Allen Rios.Alice had another six-run rally in the fourth inning. This time a stand-up double by pinch-hitter Roman Gomez scored two runs. The Coyotes scored three runs in the fourth off Tiger errors.Garza led Alice in the game going 3-for-3. Martinez went 2-for-3.Louie Canales was credited with the win for Alice. He held the Tigers to only five hits in five innings of work. During a stretch between the second and third innings, Canales struck out four straight batters.The Coyotes won Game 1 of the series in Mercedes Friday night by beating the Tigers, 15-4, in six innings.The bi-district playoff win is the Alice program's second in as many years.By late Saturday afternoon, Alice and Moody coaches had not decided on the date and location of their area playoff series.