NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio (April 28, 2025) -- Rocky River returned to its north-of-the-Mason-Dixon Line schedule Monday, as the Pirates prevailed in a five-inning, run-rule contest against the North Olmsted Eagles. River banged out three home runs (Griffin Hill, Josh Mommers, Brady Patsouras), got two hits each from Hill, Lucas Konopka, and Henry Tovissi, and got another solid pitching performance from Rees Heigle, as the Buccaneers throttled the host Eagles 1-1.
North Olmsted was on the wrong end of a 1 run-for-4 exchange in the first inning. The Pirates (9-5, 5-1 Cleveland West Conference) -- fresh off their April 22-25 play in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina-based South Atlantic Bank Invitational -- ran the game into rout territory with six more runs in the second. Hill smacked a three-run round-tripper to center field as part of that six-run outburst. Rocky River's other homers came in the first (two-run Patsouras home run) and third (three-run Mommers home run).
For the game, the Pirates outhit the Eagles 10-2. The hits allowed by Heigle were singles. His five-inning line included three walks and a career-high 15 strikeouts. Heigle didn't let a North Olmsted batter past first base after the first inning.
The Sons of Blackbeard went 6-for-their-first-9 with runners in scoring position. They finished the game 6-for-13 in that department.
Rocky River has won three straight CWC tilts, all in run-rule fashion.
CANNON FIRE ...
NOT HALF-BAD: With a 2-for-3 performance Monday, senior Griffin Hill has now logged base hits in half of his 32 at-bats this season. Hill, who has multiple hits in four of River's last six games, is hitting .500 with seven runs batted in and 13 scored. He has also swiped five bags.
AN ALRIGHT LEFTY: Rees Heigle's 15 whiffs came on the heels of a 13-strikeout performance against Princeton (West Virginia) in River's first Myrtle Beach game (April 22). Heigle, who has a team-high 48 strikeouts this spring, has filed 9-or-more punch-outs in a game nine times over the last two seasons.
by Skip Snow
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