Sterling softball rallies for walk-off win over Newman in opener

STERLING — Sterling junior Lily Cantu plays the way she practices, according to coach Donnie Dittmar.

Practice must be going well for the center fielder.

The Golden Warriors rallied for three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to grab a 9-8 walk-off win over Newman to open the season Tuesday.

Cantu had a three-run home run in the first inning and showed off her glove in center to help Sterling win the back-and-forth contest.

“She just goes full-go,” Dittmar said of Cantu, “and she’s always doing the right things, and it’s going to show out here in the field.”

Cantu had two of Sterling’s 11 hits and advanced two runners into scoring position in the seventh-inning rally. Olivia Castillo tied the game with a two-run single with two outs before Sterling won it on a passed ball.

“Down by two in the last inning, it was a little nerve-wracking,” Cantu said. “But we got up. ... It was a great way to start the season.”

Sterling held off the young Comets, who were led by big performances from Lucy Oetting and Brenleigh Cook. Oetting was 4 for 4 and scored two runs, while Cook had a home run and five RBIs.

“They’re a good team,” Cantu said of Newman. “They battled. We just did an amazing job.”

Sterling junior pitcher Lily Martinez willed her way to the win in her first varsity start in the circle, scattering 11 hits and five earned runs over seven innings with six strikeouts and five walks.

“She worked hard and pushed through that,” Dittmar said. “I was really proud of her just sticking to it.”

Sterling’s Lilly Martinez fires a pitch against Newman Tuesday, March 18, 2025. (Alex T. Paschal)

Sticking to the plan is a point of emphasis for Dittmar. Even when Sterling trailed, it did not rattle. The approach paid off in the comeback win.

“Don’t worry about what the score is, and as long as we stick to it, we’ve always got a chance,” he said. “The girls did a great job. There was nobody hanging their heads.”

Offensively, it was a full-team effort for Sterling as nine different girls had hits. Martinez singled and doubled, and Mya Lira had two RBIs.

Sterling drew five walks and struck out four times against Newman freshman pitcher Gianna Vance, who pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed seven earned runs.

“I have a lot of kids playing a lot of different spots, and we’re still working through who those main players are going to be,” Dittmar said. “That may take half a season, but we’re going to just keep working until we find out the ones that are consistent.”

Newman first-year coach Charlie Woodward was generally proud of the effort after the first game for his team. Woodward coached the junior Comets previously, so he is familiar with the girls.

“They showed up, took that thing to the bottom of the seventh,” he said. “That’s really what you want to see. They were fighting all the way to the last play. That’s all you can ask.”

Amiya Rodriguez is Newman’s lone senior, with Cook and Oetting the only juniors. The Comets have three sophomores and seven freshmen on the roster to open the season.

“We’re all about having fun this year,” Woodward said. “I think once the fun happens, the wins will happen.

“We’re a young team, so we’re going to definitely work on getting better every single day.”

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