ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- For the Rocky River Pirates, a (hopefully) busy week got going Monday afternoon with a 15-5 victory over Great Lakes Conference foe Holy Name. River responded after falling behind, 5-0, through an inning-and-a-half, and a rolling Pirate offense hung a pair of sixes on the five-inning, run-rule line score.
The Green Wave opened the game at Pirate Field with three straight singles. Holy Name plated two of those base runners, held Rocky River scoreless in the bottom of the first, and then put together three singles, a walk, and a River error in running its lead to 5-0 in the top of the second. The Pirates drew two walks and batted around in their half of the second. A double by Maire Kelly and a triple by Katie Mommers highlighted a six-run stanza for the Maroon & White.
Mommers came on to pitch in the third, relieving Maggie Hill who started for Rocky River and allowed five runs (four earned ) over her two innings. Getting solid defense behind her, Mommers would go the rest of the way in nine-up-nine-down fashion. The River offense did the rest of the work: Mommers (double), Lexi Aguilar (double), and Julianna Benjamin (home run) logged extra-base hits in a six-run fourth. The Pirates closed out the game with a three-spot in the bottom of the fifth. Kelsey Murphy's sixth home run of the season highlighted that frame.
For the game, Rocky River (8-5, 5-2 GLC) outhit Holy Name, 9-7. Both teams were tagged with just one error. Extra-base hits (six for RR, none for HN) and walks (nine for RR, two for HN) were significant difference makers in the contest. So too was the Pirates' performance in clutch situations: River went 8-of-16 with runners in scoring position.
Katie Mommers reached base in each of four plate appearances. She went 3-for-3 with a triple, a double, and a walk. Mommers, who also scored three runs, is 12-for-her-last-15 at the plate. In nine games this season, she's batting .600 (15-of-25) with eight extra-base hits. In the circle, Mommers struck out three batters while lowering her season ERA to 4.59.
Lexi Aguilar went 2-for-3 with a walk and four runs batted in. Both Aguilar and Mommers have now hit safely in six consecutive games.
Kelsey Murphy's fifth-inning round-tripper marked the 11th of her career. That ties the school record with Marissa Smiley. Murphy has five home runs and 24 RBIs since April 6.
With Monday's victory, the Pirates are now 6-2 at home. Overall, the Maroon & White are 7-1 over their last eight.
River is scheduled to play a GLC road game against the Lakewood Rangers on Tuesday. If the weather doesn't get dodgy, the Pirates will also play this week on Thursday (Lakewood at home) and Saturday (home doubleheader vs. Lorain).
CANNON FIRE ...
APRIL POWERS: Over three games from April 3-5, the Pirates dropped three straight games and scored just five runs in the process. In eight games since, Rocky River has gone 7-1 while scoring 124 runs (15.5 runs per game).
BUCCANEER BAT BARRAGE: Through 13 games, Mommers, Murphy (.564), and Aguilar (.477) are all hitting over .400. The Pirates are hitting .340 as a team. ... With two homers Monday, River has now hit 10 on the season. The program's loftiest total in recent years was 17 home runs in 24 games in 2017.
by Skip Snow
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