NCLL Beats Pearl River In Just Six Innings Two Days After Marathon Game

Reese Guevarra and Sarah Brauer each pitched nine innings in a softball game Friday night, striking out a combined 25 batters, and yet, neither pitched a complete game.

It’s not some sort of brain teaser, however. They’re simply teammates.

On Friday, the New City Little League 11- and 12-year-old softball all-star team defeated Nanuet in an 18-inning game where the score remained tied at zero until the final inning, when New City scored two to win 2-0. Chicago Cubs legendary third baseman Ernie Banks has a famous saying “Let’s play two” for his desire to play in doubleheaders out of a love for baseball, but not even the baseball Hall of Famer would think of playing a triple-header, which essentially Friday’s game was as Little League games normally go six innings.

New City’s prize for winning the marathon game was advancing in their all-star tournament, and a game against Pearl River’s all-star team less than two days later, Sunday night at Strawtown Field.

Guevarra was back on the mound Sunday night, giving up just two runs in six innings of work while striking out 10 in New City’s 8-2 victory over Pearl River. As some of the New City girls were walking off the field, one of them said, “Hmm, that seemed short." Of course, mostly anything would after Sunday’s 18-inning game.

“It was pretty tough,” Guevarra said about Friday’s game. “I was exhausted by the end of it.”

Guevarra pitched the first nine innings, the most she’s pitched in a game in her young career, and then finished the back nine in center field. Little League rules state that a pitcher can only pitch nine innings on one day, and if they pitch one day, they can only pitch two innings at most on a game the very next day. Because of the day off, Guevarra was back on the mound Sunday, and picked up right where she left off Friday, as she was perfect through the first three innings, not even allowing a ball to leave the infield.

“I’m pretty hyped,” she said looking forward to New City’s next game, which will be Tuesday night at Strawtown against the winner of Stony Point and South Orange game that ended late Sunday night.

After waiting 17-plus innings to plate its first run Friday, New City jumped to an early lead Sunday night, scoring on only its third batter of the game. After the leadoff girl singled and stole second base, the second batter struck out and the third hitter of the inning grounded it to short. On contact, the runner ran from second to third base, drawing a throw from Pearl River’s shortstop, but the runner slid under the tag. On the throw to third, the batter ran to second, drawing a throw from the third baseman, which sailed into centerfield, scoring the runner from third. The next batter grounded out to third base, scoring the second runner, who moved to third base on the throwing error in the previous play.

The 2-0 lead was one that New City wouldn’t relinquish. It led 4-0 in the top of the fourth inning, when Pearl River rallied to cut the lead in half. New City manager Andy Kaye met with his infield on the pitcher’s mound after the second run came in that inning, but he said he wasn’t worried about Pearl River tying the game, or even more extra innings.

“I said ‘let’s get outs, and we’ll get those back in the next inning,’ which we did,” he said. “I told them we were already up, and we just had to tie or win each inning from then on, and we’d win.”

Guevarra wasn’t just stellar on the mound, but provided some offense to help herself out, going 4-4 on Sunday, scoring three runs and driving in two. Melanie Lerche went 2-3 with four RBIs in the win.

James Guevarra, Reese’s father and a coach on the New City team, said his daughter is a hard worker, and that he’s very proud of her performances Sunday night and Friday, when she also had five more hits.

“She just does what she does,” he said.

He added that even sitting and watching Friday’s night from the bench took an effort.

“Both teams played hard enough to win,” he said. “But I’m really happy we were the team that won.”

Kaye said he didn’t even see his team tiring during Friday’s game.

“There was never fear in their eyes,” he said. “They all looked like they were ready to keep going until we won. They’re a very confident group, very focused.”

Still, he said Friday’s game was like nothing he had ever seen before. Gabby Palumbo said “it was really intense.” She too played all 18 innings, splitting her with 16 innings at second base and two at shortstop. She also played second and short Sunday night.