ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- Strong Elyria Catholic pitching ruled the day, as the Pirates fell to the Panthers, 4-2, in Great Lakes Conference play on a chilly Wednesday at Rocky River Stadium.

The EC starter had a perfect game going until Tommy Capka singled in the fifth. The visiting nine tallied solo runs in the first and third innings and went into the sixth leading, 2-0. The Panthers plated two key runs in their half of the penultimate frame. Rocky River (7-10, 6-6 GLC) answered with two in the bottom of the sixth. River scored on an Anthony Ferchill-Jacob Florentine double-steal and on a Gavin O'Brien single.

After Hudson Wissman held the Panthers scoreless in the top of the seventh, the Pirates put together a near-comeback in the home half of the inning. Two EC errors and a Capka single produced a bit of traffic on the bases but no crossings of the one that moves digits on the scoreboard.

For the game Capka went 2-for-3 with a stolen base. Rocky River outhit Elyria Catholic, 5-4. All five of River's hits were singles.

The Pirate pitching effort handled by Ethan White (four innings, two runs allowed) and Wissman (three, two).


by Skip Snow

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