The Sterling softball team knows it should be playing better. After leading at Moline on Tuesday for 5⅔ innings, the Golden Warriors let things slip away in a 6-1 loss in Western Big 6 Conference action.

The Maroons (7-10, 2-4 Big 6) scored five runs with two outs in the fifth inning to take the momentum and grab the win. Moline’s No. 9 hitter, Raeann Goodwin, hit a two-run double to make it 2-1. A catchable ball was also dropped in center field as Kierson Griffith cleared the bases after two walks. Moline scored once more in the seventh inning as Sterling had had just four hits in the game.

Sterling starting pitcher Lily Martinez said it was frustrating to see the game slip away for the Warriors (8-9, 3-3), who are 3-7 in April so far.

“Honestly, we are better than what we are playing [like],” she said. “We’re just in a hole right now. We honestly need to find it before we lose any more games, because we’re not having fun.

“We really need to find how we want to play and win.”

Sterling started the game well, but it could have gone better. The Warriors loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batter before taking a 1-0 lead on a wild pitch. Two flyouts and a fielder’s choice left a couple early runs on the table.

But Martinez was dealing in the circle, allowing just one hit through four innings with five strikeouts. Things took a 180 in the fifth inning after Goodwin’s two-run single.

“Once they found that one hit, their energy went up, and they added on to it,” Martinez said. “That’s something that we need to also do once we have one good hit; we need to add on to it and push and have that momentum to win.”

Martinez said the team was in control, but things went downhill after Moline’s big hit.

Moline’s pitcher, Lilyana Reyna, also finished with a complete game, striking out three and walking two. Her defense also made plays behind her, including two double plays. Martinez and Rosise Cantu singled in the sixth inning before a line drive to first resulted in a double play. Sterling went down in order in the seventh.

“We definitely could have hit off her,” Martinez said. “We weren’t taking the opportunities when she threw it to us, and we really need to hop on those.”

Layla Wright got the final four outs, allowing two hits and one unearned run.

Mya Lira said those are games the team should be taking care of.

“To lose a game like that is definitely tough,” she said. “But we can only build from that.

“They just did their job and we didn’t at the end of the day, so we’ve just got to take care of business next time.”

Martinez said that starts in practice.

“I feel like sometimes we are a little lenient when we are in practice,” she said. “We definitely have to practice how we play.”

The team is also not hitting up to its capability.

“We’ve been kind of struggling a little bit offensively,” Lira said, “so I think just having a better approach and mindset going into the box is something that we need to really zone in on.”

Moline had a hit batter and three walks in the fifth inning. The dropped line drive in center also helped the Maroons pull away.

“I’m not going to take anything away from Moline,” Sterling coach Donnie Dittmar said. “They took advantage of all the things that we did bad. We’re never going to win games playing like that.”

Dittmar said the team needs its upperclassmen to step up and lead in the big moments.

“Too many things are happening that they could help control a little bit, and it’s just not happening,” he said. “[And] our hitting right now is up and down. It’s just not getting it done.”