'I really wanted to beat this team.' GV snaps 25-game losing streak against Merced.

As soon as the third strike was called for the final out, Golden Valley pitcher Marissa Bertuccio ran to home plate to hug her catcher Nini Aranda.

The decade-long streak was mercifully over and the GV players knew it.

The final at Joe Herb Park on Thursday night: Golden Valley 3, Merced 2.

For the first time since 2008, the Cougars had beaten the Bears. It snapped a streak of 25 consecutive losses to their crosstown rival, finally ending 10 years of frustration.

"We thought it had been 20 years," Bertuccio said. "It seemed like Golden Valley had never beaten Merced. This time we got it done. There's so many emotions. There were so many things going through my head. I'm super competitive against any team, in any game, but I really wanted to beat this team.

"When I threw that last strike, I wanted to run to my catcher."

Bertuccio was in first grade the last time Golden Valley beat Merced. Cougars coach Ross Cruickshanks didn't want to put any added pressure on his players going into the game so he didn't even bring up the streak.

"I did not want to talk about it," Cruickshanks said. "It's always a big game against Merced, no matter what the records are. We've had some good games against them that we'd let slip away. So this was huge.

"Back when Merced had Chelsea Evans and some of those other players I knew it was going to be tough. But I thought we would have broke through the last two years. This is great for Marissa. She deserves this. She's pitched some pretty good games and we haven't always backed her up with either our defense or hitting."

The Bears (9-6, 3-3 Central California Conference) jumped out to a 2-0 lead early. Abby Flores crushed an RBI triple in the first inning to plate Madison Kane for a 1-0 lead.

Lilan Ramirez added a run-scoring single in the third inning to extend the lead to 2-0.

After staring the game 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position in the first four innings, the Cougars (12-4, 2-2 CCC) finally got the big hit they needed in the fifth inning.

With two runners on, Vanessa Saltos dropped in a two-out single to shallow left field that easily scored Maddie Martinez.

Cruickshanks gambled and successfully scored Bertuccio all the way from first base to tie the game at 2-2.

"I saw Ross waving me in," Bertuccio said. "I wasn't going to stop."

After the throw to the plate, Merced catcher Dae Dae Landeros tried to get Saltos wandering off second base, but her throw hit Saltos and bounced into right field. Saltos was able to score on the error to give GV a 3-2 lead.

"As soon as I felt the ball hit me, I ran as fast as I have ever run before," Saltos said.

Saltos had been robbed of an extra-base hit in previous at-bat. She had blasted a ball to deep center that was run down with a highlight catch by Merced's Ashlynn Chatham.

Saltos was determined to come through with the game on the line.

"I wasn't going down without a fight," Saltos said. "When I hit it, I thought it was dropping. They were playing me deep after the last hit. I was just hoping it would fall in."

Bertuccio took it home the rest of the way, but there was drama in the seventh inning.

Merced's Jewels Perez singled with two outs, stole second and moved up to third on an errant throw to second base.

With the tying run at third base, Bertuccio was able to strike out Kane for the final out. Bertuccio came into the game fourth in the state with 164 strikeouts. The junior right-hander finished with nine strikeouts against Merced and gave up just five hits.

With one streak snapped, Golden Valley can no focus on ending another one. The Cougars haven't made the playoffs since 2006.

"One of our main goals is to get in the playoffs," Bertuccio said. "This gives us confidence as well. Hopefully this gives us hope we can win and we can do it when we get down. We've just got to do it as a team."

Atwater 13, Buhach Colony 6 in Atwater – The Falcons scored 10 runs in the sixth and seventh innings combined to overcome a 6-3 deficit to defeat the Thunder.

Katie Bettis had a big day at the plate for the Falcons (15-4 overall, 5-1 CCC) with two home runs and four RBIs.

Paytin Mercado hit a three-run homer for Buhach Colony to give the Thunder a 6-3 lead in the fourth inning.

The Falcons took the lead with a six-run sixth inning. Lexuss Ponce gave Atwater a 7-6 lead with a two-run double in the sixth.

Battis added a three-run home run in the seventh.

Megan Escobar picked up the win in relief to improve to 9-0 this season.

This story was originally published April 12, 2018 at 9:49 PM with the headline "'I really wanted to beat this team.' GV snaps 25-game losing streak against Merced.."