ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- In Monday's rivalry bout against Bay, the Rocky River Pirates landed a four-run uppercut in the fifth round, then took some late jabs from the Rockets but held on to win a 7-4 decision in a Great Lakes Conference contest on a sunny but chilly afternoon at Pirate Field.
For the Pirates, Monday's conquest came in a high-stakes game of RISP -- as in runners in scoring position. Rocky River came up big in such situations; River pitching shut the Rockets down in their opportunities.
Back-to-back doubles by Katie Mommers and Kelsey Murphy highlighted a four-run fifth inning for the Maroon & White which won their fifth game in their last six tries. Rocky River went into that fifth frame leading 3-0. Eight batters later, Pirate fielders retrieved their mitts and headed out to the diamond with a 7-0 lead. They would need just about that much slack to withstand a late charge by the Rockets.
Bay got to River starter Maggie Hill for a lone manufactured run in the top of the sixth after Hill had worked in and out of trouble, stranding five base runners over the first five innings. Things then got interesting in the seventh when the middle of the Rocket order strung together three straight two-out hits. That brought the tying run to the plate, and the Pirate junior punched out the No. 6 batter in the Bay order to close out the victory.
For the game, Hill allowed four runs on seven hits and five walks. She struck out seven and held the visiting nine to a 2-of-12 mark with runners in scoring position.
Mommers (2-for-3, double, three runs batted in) and Murphy (3-for-3, two doubles, two RBIs) paced the Pirate attack. Lindsay Hartman and Julianna Benjamin also added RBIs in the River win. The home nine went 6-of-13 with runners in scoring position.
Murphy now has 15 runs batted in over her last six games. She has a team-high 38 RBIs on the season.
For the Pirates (11-6, 6-3 GLC), Monday's contest marked the front half of a GLC home-and-home: River is scheduled to play at Bat on Tuesday.
by Skip Snow
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