The Gustine Lady Reds suffered a 15-0 defeat as they traveled to Newman to face their long-time rivals, the Lady Warriors, in a non-league contest on Feb. 25.
The starting pitchers for the matchup were number 14 Anahi Alvarez for the Lady Reds and number 42 Hailey Starr for the Lady Warriors.
The first inning proved challenging for Gustine, as they went three up, three down. In the bottom of the first, Newman capitalized on multiple walks and key hits, scoring five runs. Number 7 Analyssa Gudino delivered a two-run RBI, and number 15 Hannah Taft contributed a single-run RBI.
The top of the second inning offered no relief for the Lady Reds. Newman extended their lead in the bottom of the second, adding two more runs. Number 9 Belany Martens drove in a run with an RBI single, and number 7 Gudino added another with a sacrifice fly.
In the top of the third inning, Newman made a pitching change, bringing in number 45 Ellery Gustafson. Gustine managed to get their first runner on base as number 23 Adamaris Sierra was hit by a pitch, but she was ultimately stranded at first. The Lady Warriors' bats ignited in the bottom of the third. Taft had two at-bats, both resulting in hits, including an RBI. Numbers 25 Lexi Alves, Gustafson , 1 Cayla Finley, and 10 Salece Machado also contributed with hits. Notably, number 4 Lily Rocha launched a powerful hit that struck the top of the fence, resulting in a double and pushing the score to 13-0.
Gustine showed signs of life in the top of the fourth, with number 22 Xel-Ha Pantoja and number 1 Leilah Fara each hitting singles. However, they remained scoreless. The Lady Reds made a pitching change, bringing in number 6 Malia Huhane as a relief pitcher. Newman added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth, bringing the score to the final 15-0. The Lady Reds were unable to rally in the top of the fifth, triggering the mercy rule and ending the game.
At the time of this victory, the Lady Warriors held a 2-4 record, while the Lady Reds moved to 2-2.
The Gustine Lady Reds will next face the Hilmar Yellow Jackets on March 7th at 3:30 PM. The Newman Warriors will play the Patterson Tigers on March 4th at 3:30 PM.
