ROCKY RIVER, Ohio -- Rocky River opened Great Lakes Conference play in style on Thursday, as the Pirates earned a 6-5 come-from-behind win over the Valley Forge Patriots at Rocky River Field.

River rallied from a mid-game 5-2 deficit. Julian Patti tossed 4-1/3 scoreless innings during the comeback. Patti -- who did not walk a batter while striking out four in relief of starter Ethan White -- set the Patriots down 1-2-3 to close out the win in the top of the seventh inning.

Clutch plate appearances by Jake Florentine, Anthony Ferchill, Braedon Spies, Gavin O'Brien, Nate Mitchell, and Thomas Rossi loomed large in a comeback that saw the home nine score one run in the the fourth inning, one in the fifth, and two in the sixth. Spies capped off the comeback with a go-ahead, two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the sixth. Spies, who also walked twice and scored two runs in the game, now sports an on-base percentage of .765. His RBIs in the sixth marked his seventh and eighth of the young season.

The Pirates' comeback was threaded through key hits by Ferchill and O'Brien and a spate of timely walks and stolen bases. Ferchill finished with two doubles and a single in four at-bats.

Rocky River (3-1, 1-0 GLC) is scheduled to face Normandy in another GLC tilt on Friday.


CANNON FIRE ...

GO-GO PIRATES: The Sons of Blackbeard thieved their way to nine stolen bases Thursday, and the River Nine has swiped 34 bags in four games. Spies (seven stolen bases) and O'Brien (6 SB) are the team leaders for the season. Jake Florentine stole three bases Thursday.

FUNGOES: Julian Patti has not allowed a run in two appearances (5-1/3 innings pitched) this season. ... The Double-R defense has been tagged with just three field errors in four games. The Pirates own a sparkling .970 fielding percentage. ... River's offense has logged more walks (27) than strikeouts (26) through four games. ... The Pirates have an aggregate 27 runs batted in; 14 of those RBIs have come with two outs.


by Skip Snow

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