Sterling beats Moline 8-7 after lightning delay

STERLING — Sterling pitcher Lily Martinez admitted her arm was a bit sore after Tuesday’s game against Moline resumed after an 85-minute lightning delay.

But she pushed through it.

Martinez got a strikeout with the tying runner at second to finish a complete game effort in the circle as Sterling won 8-7 in Western Big 6 Conference action.

The game was delayed in the bottom of the fifth inning with Sterling up 6-4 due to nearby lightning.

Martinez battled against a tough Moline (6-11, 2-4 Big 6) lineup to get the win, scattering nine hits with four strikeouts and a walk.

Moline’s Emersyn Rasso led off the game with a home run. And Kayley Reynolds hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning as the Maroons began to rally. Martinez was able to close it out.

“The delay kind of hurt my shoulder a little since it was just a long great and I had to warm up again,” she said. “I was just trying to push through it to finish it off.”

Lily Cantu’s two-run single to make it 8-4 in the sixth turned out to be just enough insurance.

Martinez said a game like this shows the importance of tacking on extra runs and extending leads.

“If we didn’t get our bats around in those innings, I don’t know how it would have played out,” Martinez said. “But it did end up in our favor towards the end.”

“I feel like everyone on our team is doing awesome,” Cantu said. “We’re doing our job as a teammate and as a player.”

Martinez hit a two-run double in the second inning and a Kaity Taylor two-run home run gave Sterling a 4-2 lead.

Sterling (10-4, 5-1) later added to its lead as Marley Sechrest stole two bases and scored on an error and Cantu scored on a wild pitch.

Moline answered with a two-run homer by Nicole Carman in the fifth before the field had to be cleared for the delay.

“They have really good players that can hit,” Martinez said. “They hit more than one home run on m; but in the end, I just have to keep a good mindset because I know my team is there to back me up even though we had a little rough spot towards the end.

“I was just trying to keep a good mindset and just do what I can to finish it off.”

Sterling overcame some errors on defense and had just five hits. But the defending conference champions are in position to compete for the Big 6 title once again near the midway point.

Stepping into Sterling’s primary pitching role this season, Martinez and Sterling have had some dramatic moments late in conference play.

“A lot of it is the adrenaline rush of just pitching and having fun,” Martinez said. “There’s going to be highs and lows, but especially that adrenaline rush helps me.”