ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (April 17, 2025) -- On Thursday, the Pirates closed out a busy week with a 14-0 run-rule conquest of the Valley Forge Patriots.

The Sons of Blackbeard were efficient on offense (10 hits and 10 walks in four innings) and on the mound (sophomore Andrew Locsei: five scoreless innings, allowing just three singles and a base on balls) in winning their third game of the week and for the fourth time in their last five contests. Locsei needed just 64 pitches (48 were strikes) to get Rocky River to the mercy-rule barn. He struck out six.

Crooked numbers were the order of the day on the bottom half of the scoreboard entries. River plated three runs in the first inning, four in the second, two in the third, and five in the fifth. The Pirates had eight singles, a double (Matt Gutia), and a triple (Josh Mommers), and went 6-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

Griffin Hill and Mommers each went 2-for-2 with two walks. Gutia and Mommers each filed three runs batted in. Over games on Wednesday (13-2 win over Olmsted Falls) and Thursday, Gutia went a combined 3-for-6 with 6 RBI; he has now hit safely in five straight games.

The Thursday Cleveland West Conference win at the Bus Yard sends Rocky River (6-3, 4-1 CWC) into the South Atlantic Bank Invitational, four days of games in Myrtle Beach, S.C., April 22-25.

by Skip Snow

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