ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- The Rocky River Pirates got in their first game action in 681 days, as the 2021 season launched with a split against Lutheran West on Saturday. The Pirates got a thrilling last-licks win in the opener; the Longhorns took the nightcap.

With the 2020 season being lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, Saturday's double-dip at Pirate Field marked River's first competition since May 16, 2019. And the Maroon & White wasted no time in getting to some on-field heroics. After falling behind, 6-1, in game one, River leap-fogged the Longhorns with a six-run fifth. The visitors would come back to knot the score at 7-7 in the top of the seventh. The Longhorns then scored three runs in the extra-inning top-of-the-eighth. But the Pirates battled back.

The bottom of the order came up big in the bottom of the eighth. A walk to Kate Tlapa and back-to-back singles by Lindsay Hartman and Colleen Meese put traffic on the bases. After an RBI single by Maire Kelly and a walk to Emily Satayathum, Rocky River found itself down by just one (10-9). Katie Mommers capped off the comeback with a two-run double to left, and the Pirates won, 11-10.

In the second game it was Rocky River grabbing a sizable lead and then coughing it up in the middle innings. A seven-run third brought the Longhorns back from a 10-4 deficit. Lutheran would go on to win a 15-13 slugfest, with the Longhorns outhitting the Pirates, 17-12.

Katie Mommers (eight innings), Maggie Hill (five), and Colleen Meese were the Pirate hurlers on the day.

Kelsey Murphy (5-for-7, two doubles, four RBIs), Hartman (3-for-6, two doubles), and Lexi Aguilar (5-for-8, three RBIs) were River's top hitters over the twin games played in 50-degree sunshine.


by Skip Snow